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Front Page

- 80k ecstasy: Sensex crosses mark in fastest 10k rally ever

- Colleagues drug, gang-rape Hyd woman in car

- ‘Reference’ column in admission forms

- HC blow to registrar with Sidda reference

- `1.9k cr loan to mills tied to NCP, BJP netas

- 3 bridges fall in Bihar: It’s 9 in 15 days now

- IN THE COURTS

- Bhavan ex-staffer moves SC against Bengal governor

- BRS govt tapped phones of judge, wife: Hyd top cop

- Accused entitled to bail if trial slow, irrespective of nature of crime: SC

- Teen held for murder of 9-yr-old escapes being tried as an adult by 1 day

- Inspiring journey: Truck driver’s son goes to IIM-L

- L K Advani, 96, admitted to hospital again

- Tanker crushes man, another stabbed

- Sidda suspends land allocation to wife

- Twitter’s desi rival Koo shuts down

- Frantic search for missing as Hathras toll touches 121

- FIR names chief volunteer, but leaves out ‘Baba’

- ‘Organisers ignored injured, seen busy clearing evidence’

- Stampede caused by anti-social elements: ‘Baba’

- PM to oppn: Manipur returning to normal, don’t add fuel to fire

- Days after bail, Hemant set to return as J’khand CM

- Hry ASI shot at residence by 2 men on bike

80k ecstasy: Sensex crosses mark in fastest 10k rally ever

Surge In Retail Investors Fuelling Boom In Stocks

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: The 30-scrip Bombay Stock Exchange sensex crossed the 80,000 mark for the first time on Wednesday, gaining 10,000 points in six and a half months, recording its fastest 10k rally in history.

The country’s stock market has seen a stratospheric rise, reaching new milestones with spectacular regularity driven by a surge in retail investors and middle class India flocking to the market and lending strength to the support from foreign investors. Some experts say the sensex is poised for much higher gains after the Union Budget later this month, with some predicting it could reach 87,000 levels by the end of the year.

The rally was driven by HDFC Bank, which has the highest weightage in the sensex following the merger of HDFC with its banking arm. The NSE Nifty 50 closed with a gain of 0.7% at 24,286.5 points, while the sensex too increased by 0.7% to reach 79,986.8 points.

Shares of HDFC Bank gained 2.2% following the publication of its shareholding for the quarter ended June 2024. The shareholding revealed foreign holding in the bank had dipped to 54.8%.

Ironically, it was the sale of shares by foreign investors that triggered a re-rating of the stock.

The dip in foreign holding below 55%, increases floa- ting stock available for global investors to a threshold level where its weightage in the MSCI Emerging Market Index is increased.

According to a research report, HDFC Bank's weightage in MSCI index could increase from 3.8% to around 7.5%. This could result in inflows of $3-$4 billion.

Tata, M&M gainers, P 21

FULL COVERAGE: P 21

 EDIT PAGE:Why’s Mkt OK With Macro Problems?

Colleagues drug, gang-rape Hyd woman in car

Two sales executives of a real estate firm in Hyderabad were arrested Wednesday for allegedly drugging, raping and beating their 26-year-old colleague for more than four hours inside a car on the night of June 30. The accused picked up the woman Sunday morning for a site visit and on their way back, stopped at a desolate spot, claiming car had broken down.

P 12

‘Reference’ column in admission forms

Forms for admission to Telangana’s residential schools now have a “referred by” column that applicants must fill, along with all other details, before submission. In the online version of the form, the column offers a drop-down menu for applicants to choose from “minister, MP, MLA, MLC, IAS, IPS or Others”.

P 11

HC blow to registrar with Sidda reference

Karnataka high court has quashed the appointment of a registrar to University of Mysore, who was recommended by CM Siddaramaiah, saying the state govt has neither properly considered his eligibility nor the vice-chancellor’s opinion. The incumbent challenged his transfer, saying it was at the CM’s behest. TNN

`1.9k cr loan to mills tied to NCP, BJP netas

National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has sanctioned a working capital loan of Rs 1,898 crore to Maharashtra govt, which will be infused into 13 of the state’s ailing sugar mills. Five of these mills belong to NCP netas and five to BJP functionaries and their aids. The state goes to polls this year.

P 11

3 bridges fall in Bihar: It’s 9 in 15 days now

Three more bridges — two in Siwan and one in Saran — collapsed Wednesday, taking the total number of fallen bridges in Bihar to nine in the past 15 days. The bridge in Saran was from the colonial era while those in Siwan, across the Gandaki rivulet, were built in 1983 and 1998. There was no traffic when the bridges fell, report Abhay Singh and Manoj Chaurasia.

CM Nitish Kumar held a review meeting with officials Wednesday on the matter. A panel set up to investigate reasons behind the collapses is set to sumit its report in a week.

IN THE COURTS

➤ Kerala high court acquits a death-row convict languishing in jail since 2013, setting aside a trial court judgment for wrongfully convicting him of the murder of a 57-year-old victim in Kollam in 2013. It also directs state to pay Gireesh Kumar 5 lakh as compensation for his wrongful confinement for over 10 years

P 11

➤ A CBI court hands concurrent life terms to hired shooter convicted of murdering two CMOs of UP 13 years ago, leading to unravelling of National Rural Health Mission scam that triggered BSP govt’s fall

P 22

➤ Delhi HC says it will examine CM Kejriwal’s plea seeking regular bail in a case filed by CBI in connection with alleged excise policy scam on July 5

P 3

➤ Calling probe panel’s report on Vadodara’s Harni Lake tragedy ‘misguiding’ & saying it failed to fix onus on officials, Gujarat high court directs state govt to withdraw its report

P 15

Bhavan ex-staffer moves SC against Bengal governor

Kolkata: The former Raj Bhavan staffer who filed a police complaint accusing Bengal governor C V Ananda Bose of molesting her at work moved Supreme Court Wednesday, questioning whether his constitutional immunity should be allowed to overrun her right to life. She said the manner in which Raj Bhavan branded her a “liar” and the governor gave “his own self a clean chit” had left her “voiceless and shunned to a life of depravity and ridicule”.

The woman said she was under “extreme distress” and had “no urge to live a life with such a black mark on her character”. Texts to governor Bose did not elicit any response. An official said Raj Bhavan had no information on any case being filed in the apex court. TNN

BRS govt tapped phones of judge, wife: Hyd top cop

The previous Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi govt in Telangana led by K Chandrasekhar Rao had got the phones of a high court judge and his wife tapped, Hyderabad police commissioner K Srinivas Reddy told the court Wednesday, reports Sagar Kumar Mutha.

In a detailed affidavit, Reddy said the accused cops had obtained call and IP details of Justice K Sarath and his wife. Others on the list, the affidavit said, were then opposition leader A Revanth Reddy, his brothers, and many other MLAs. A chargesheet has been filed against six accused in the case, including a former DCP.

P 11

Accused entitled to bail if trial slow, irrespective of nature of crime: SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said every accused has a fundamental right to speedy trial irrespective of the seriousness of the crime alleged against him and an inordinate delay in trial even in such cases would entitle them to bail, reports Dhananajay Mahapatra.

The court recorded this in its order granting bail to one Javed Gulam Nabi Shaikh, who was arrested by Mumbai Police outside Sahar airport on Feb 9, 2020, with fake currency amounting to Rs 21 lakh allegedly being recovered from him. The case was later transferred to National Investigation Agency. However, the apex court found that though a chargesheet had been filed by NIA, the trial court was yet to frame charges.

SC raps NIA, P 17

Manipur HC, govt face SC ire over inmate treatment

SC on Wednesday strongly disapproved of Manipur HC’s refusal to allow an ailing tribal undertrial, arrested in Oct 2022, to be treated outside the prison because of simmering ethnic clashes. It ordered immediate shifting of the accused to Guwahati Medical College while directing the state to bear expenses of treatment.

Frowning at the HC order and the lackadaisical approach of the state, the bench told Manipur counsel, “We could have observed many things regarding the state govt and the HC. But we refrain from doing so for the time being.”

P 11

Teen held for murder of 9-yr-old escapes being tried as an adult by 1 day

Gurgaon: A boy who allegedly murdered his nine-year-old neighbour on July 1 was just a day short of his 16th birthday when he committed the crime, and therefore, will not come under the purview of Juvenile Justice Act provisions that allow a minor offender to be treated as an adult in heinous crimes.

The teenager, who lives in a society with his family, had sneaked into their neighbour’s flat in an adjacent building to allegedly steal jewellery. He has told counsellors he had taken to gambling and was under pressure to repay a Rs 20,000 loan he had taken from a friend.

An advocate TOI spoke to said the boy could still be tried as an adult if a mental age assessment is made, but tho- se would be extremely rare instances. Police spokesperson Sandeep Kumar said the juvenile did not go to the house with the intention to kill the girl but had panicked when things didn’t work out the way he wanted. TNN

 Different versions, P 7

Porsche crash victims kin want to join case

The family of Anish Awadhia, one of the two techies killed in the Pune Porsche accident in May, seeks to be an intervener in SC in the appeal against Bombay HC’s decision to release the juvenile driver. “I intend to present my pain before the apex court,” Anish’s father said.

P 15

Inspiring journey: Truck driver’s son goes to IIM-L

Isha.Jain@timesgroup.com

Lucknow: Like many others, 22-year-old engineering graduate Ganamaddula Naga Sumant from Nandayal in Andhra Pradesh has realised his dream of joining IIM Lucknow this year.

However, his feat is a cut above. Sumant, the son of truck driver Subbrayudu Ganamaddula and kindergarten teacher G Adi Lakshmi, has always faced financial constraints, with much of his father’s income going towards the bare basic: food and rent for their one-room accommodation.

“I have seen my father’s struggles. During the harvest season, he would be away for weeks as he travelled long distances carrying loads of paddy and cotton,” Sumant said. Sumant excelled academically, earning scholarships for his pre-university and engineering courses.

He completed his BTech from IIIT Srikakulam with a CGPA of 8.8, after scoring 9.8 in class 10 and 8.8 in class 12 state board exams.

His journey to IIM Lucknow began in his final year of engineering when he enrolled in a data science and programming course at IIT Madras.

 Studied 12hrs a day, P 11

L K Advani, 96, admitted to hospital again

Just six days after being discharged from AIIMS, BJP veteran L K Advani was admitted to Apollo Hospital in Delhi on Wednesday night. The condition of the 96-year-old former deputy PM is stable and he is under observation, a hospital source said, adding he is under the care of Dr Vinit Suri, senior consultant, neurology. Details of Advani’s ailment were not known. TNN

Tanker crushes man, another stabbed

A man was crushed by a tanker driver on a waterlogged road in Delhi’s Sangam Vihar Wednesday after he and some others hurled stones at the vehicle for splashing water as it passed by. Later, the group stabbed an auto driver in the melee.

P 2

Sidda suspends land allocation to wife

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah Wednesday suspended the allocation of alternative sites, including those made to his wife, by Mysuru Urban Development Authority in response to BJP’s allegations of nepotism and irregularities.

P11

Twitter’s desi rival Koo shuts down

Koo, once touted as the desi alternative to Twitter and readily adopted by govt and ministries, is shutting down after failing to find investors to keep it afloat. Launched in 2020, the platform notched up over 2 million daily active users.

P22

Frantic search for missing as Hathras toll touches 121

Hundreds Of Kin Scour Hospitals, Fields, Highway

A woman mourns deaths of three female relatives across three generations in the Hathras stampede

Rahul.Singh1@timesgroup.com

Hathras: Bhoop Singh couldn’t find his nine-year-old daughter in the slushy field that jutted away from NH 91, next to a road shiny with recently fallen rain. “Laali, Laali,” he screamed, wading through knee-deep water and waist-high vegetation, peering at bushes with trepidation. “I've looked everywhere for her,” Singh said, wiping the sweat from his face that had mixed with water and mud.

As the Hathras administration and top UP govt officials put the number of those dead in the stampede on Tuesday at a self-styled godman’s satsang in the district’s Phulrai village at 121, Singh feared his child could be one of them, or, worse, a victim yet to be accounted for.

Hundreds of relatives since late Tuesday night have been involved in a heartbreaking search for their loved ones along stretches of the Delhi-Etah highway, in clearings and waterlogged plantations and fields.

The hunt for the missing has now raised a question: Are there more bodies to be spotted and counted? Or, are some of the missing women and children being treated in hospitals in neighbouring districts with their relatives yet to reach them?

“I have no clue where she went,” said Singh. “Laali was lost in the crowd. She was not in any of the hospitals that I have scanned. She is too small. I don't know what to do.” He added, “These fields are filled with water, she could have drowned... I’m so helpless. There are many like me looking for their daughters, mothers and sisters...”

Bodies in tempos, P 22

EDIT: Crushing Truth

Baba held in 1998 for bid to revive dead girl, P 14

 Among dead, kids too small to be left back, P 14

 Scattered slippers tell a horrific story, P 14

FIR names chief volunteer, but leaves out ‘Baba’

UP police on Wednesday registered an FIR, stating the satsang organisers “underreported the number of expected attendees, did not cooperate in managing traffic and concealed evidence” after the stampede. While the FIR names ‘mukhya sevadar’ (chief volunteer) Devprakash Madhukar and some other organisers, there’s no mention of ‘Bhole Baba’, the central conductor of the event, reports Deepak Lavania.

P 14

‘Organisers ignored injured, seen busy clearing evidence’

The ‘satsang’ organisers ignored injured devotees begging for help and instead rushed to clear evidence before police arrived, several devotees and locals who were present at the spot told TOI.

Following the stampede, the organisers started dismantling the dais and tents and removing loudspeakers, reports Rahul Singh. They also carried away thousands of slippers lying near the dais to mislead cops and hide the actual turnout number, Ramakant, a local, claimed. “They didn’t want police to find anything,” another eyewitness said.

P 14

Yogi: Volunteers tried to suppress tragedy

After visiting the spot, CM Yogi Adityanath ordered a judicial inquiry, led by a retired HC judge, and again spoke of a “possible conspiracy” behind the stampede. He added, “The satsang volunteers tried to suppress the incident.”

P 14

Stampede caused by anti-social elements: ‘Baba’

In his first reaction to Tuesday’s stampede, Surajpal Singh, known as ‘Bhole Baba’, claimed that the tragedy was “the handiwork of anti-social elements and goons”, reports Deepak Lavania. The baba, in a statement issued through his lawyer on Wednesday, said he had left the satsang venue “before the stampede happened”. Locals, however, claimed the baba “fled the scene” on Tuesday afternoon when people were falling.

P 14

PM to oppn: Manipur returning to normal, don’t add fuel to fire

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Manipur is returning to normalcy, PM Narendra Modi said on Wednesday, cautioning against attempts to pour “fuel in the fire” while pointing to the state’s history of social strife.

Replying to the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s address, Modi said, “Situation is normal in large parts of Manipur; schools and colleges are open and offices and business establishments have been functioning. Just like in other parts, the state held exams, which is a sign that students can have a better future. Violence has steadily declined which shows the possibility of restoration of peace and trust.”

However, pointing to the volatile social equation in the state, he warned, “Those who have been trying to exacerbate matters would do well to desist... Else, they will be rejected by the people of Manipur.”

The Modi govt has been accused of insensitivity towards the situation in Manipur, with the opposition faulting the PM for not visiting the state after ethnic conflagration was sparked in May 2023 by an order of the high court.

Modi rejected the charge and pointed to the history of ethnic tensions which have led to frequent eruptions of violence in the state.

10 Prez rule spells, P 22

Amritpal gets parole to to take oath as MP, P 12

EDIT PAGE: Modi Vs Rahul, House & Country

‘Oppn doesn’t have courage to face truth’

Opposition MPs staged a walkout during the PM’s speech in RS Wednesday, prompting him to say, “They don’t have the courage to face the truth... to listen to the replies to questions they raised during the discussion and can only run away.” The walkout was over RS chair Jagdeep Dhankhar not allowing an intervention by LOP Kharge during the speech.

P12

BJP’s former friend BJD joins walkout

Biju Janata Dal joined the opposition in walking out of Rajya Sabha even as PM Modi was speaking. This is the second time in a week that the regional party, an undeclared ally of BJP in Modi’s last two terms, has walked out. “It makes no sense to sit through the speech when the aspirations and demands of the people of Odisha find no mention,” BJD MP Sasmit Patra said. TNN

Days after bail, Hemant set to return as J’khand CM

Champai (R) was reportedly emotional about making way for Hemant (L) but told MLAs that for him, the party came first

ASRP Mukesh & Dhritiman Ray

Ranchi: Champai Soren’s stint as Jharkhand’s second CM in four years came to an end Wednesday when he resigned after 152 days in office, paving the way for Hemant Soren’s return to the helm within a week of getting bail as JMM decided that its “natural leader” should lead the electoral fight later this year.

Champai will remain caretaker CM till July 7, when Hemant is scheduled to take oath of office in a baton change that was always on the cards despite JMM functionaries insisting the party would like the incumbent to stay as polls were months away.

Party comes first, P 17

ED likely to move SC against Soren’s bail, P 12

Hry ASI shot at residence by 2 men on bike

Chandigarh: An assistant sub-inspector (ASI), posted in the proclaimed offenders branch of the Kurukshetra unit of Haryana police crime branch, was shot by two motorcycle-borne assailants at his residence in Kutel village of Karnal district Tuesday evening.

Sanjeev Kumar, 40, was on a stroll after a meal when the attackers opened fire on him. Before his family and neighbours could react, they fled the spot leaving Sanjeev in a pool of blood.

Proclaimed offenders, P 17

Times Nation

- Thief vows to return loot in a month

- ‘Referred by whom,’ asks T’gana school entry form

- EAM to Lavrov: Send back our youth working with your army

- `1,898cr loan for 13 sugar mills, 10 tied to Maha NCP, BJP netas

- HC orders community service by kin of 2 accused

- SC slams Manipur for denying med aid to tribal prisoner

- CBI arrests NEET leak co-conspirator

- Sumant studied 12 hours a day, took mock tests each weekend

- HC frees death-row convict after 11 years, awards him `5L

- BRS govt tracked phones of a judge, wife: Hyd CP to HC

- Army says family of Agniveer Ajay Kumar already paid `98 lakh

- K’taka cancels plot allocation after row over CM wife’s land

- Kharge cites RSS mouthpiece to attack PM on Constitution

- Govt looking at ‘watermarking’ AI-bred content to curb misuse

- Amritpal gets 4-day parole, to take oath as MP tomorrow

- Won’t let Cong succeed in plan to stall House: Rijiju

- Woman drugged, gang-raped by colleagues in car

- BJP doesn’t know tenets of Hinduism: Rahul on Guj attack

- Oppn lacks courage to hear the truth, running away: PM

- ED may move SC seeking stay on Soren’s bail in laundering case

- Rahul incited MPs, it’s against constitutional norms: BJP

- New Army chief visits J&K, reviews preparedness on LoC

- AFTER DEATHS, CLAIMS OF A COVER-UP

- Baba claimed he could revive dead, was held

- Scattered slippers, shoes tell tragic tales

- Nod for 80k, but 2.5 lakh came for satsang, says FIR

- Yogi sniffs ‘conspiracy’, orders judicial probe

- SDM’s report says Baba’s guards triggered chaos

- Baba flees, blames goons for stampede

- ‘Kids too small to be home alone died’

- Recall ‘misguiding’ lake tragedy report: HC to Guj

- Victim’s kin want to oppose in SC Porsche teen bail

- NDA allies secure key positions in new Cabinet committees

- SC raps NIA, lower court for breaching right to speedy trial

- Party comes first, ‘emotional’ Champai said at meeting: MLA

- Cops to probe role of proclaimed offenders in Haryana ASI’s murder

- NIMHANS ex-chief Gangadhar to head NMC

- Tractor mows down 2 women in Punjab:

- HC: Why only boys are apprehended but girls let off for love affairs among minors?

Thief vows to return loot in a month

On a break-in complaint, a police team rushed to a retired teacher’s house in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin district to find Rs 60,000 cash and gold burgled. They also came across a note left by the thief, stating he needed the money to treat an ailing family member and promised to return the loot in a month.

Police said the bizarre robbery took place at the house of Chithirai Selvin (79). Selvin and his wife, both retired teachers, have four children. The couple left for their son’s house in Chennai on June 17 after hiring a maid to clean the house. On Tuesday evening, the maid found the house broken into. She alerted police. Cops inspected the spot and a check with Selvin over the phone showed that Rs 60,000 cash, two pairs of gold earrings, and silver anklets were missing. Police also found a note scribbled on an envelope in green ink. Written in Tamil, it read: “Forgive me. I will return [it] in one month. Someone sick in my house.” TNN

‘Referred by whom,’ asks T’gana school entry form

Hyderabad: Is influence more important than a high score for admission to Telangana’s residential schools?

In a new addition, application forms for govt welfare schools (excluding minority schools) now have a “referred by” column, reports Nirupa Vatyam. In the online version, the column offers a drop-down menu, asking applicants to choose from “minister, MP, MLA, MLC, IAS, IPS or Others”. It also asks for details of the person. In the physical form, they are required to submit hard copies at the Mee Seva centre.

Principals of some schools confirmed this column has been added to forms this academic year. Their reason: To keep parents from walking into their offices with reference letters from “influential people”. “Time and again we have told them we have no role to play in the admission, but they still come with such requests. Now we are asking them to upload documents online,” said the principal of one such school in Adilabad.

Telangana offers about 2.8 lakh seats in schools and colleges under residential educational societies. Entrance tests are conducted for Class V and to fill vacancies in Classes VI to IX.

EAM to Lavrov: Send back our youth working with your army

New Delhi: Foreign minister S Jaishankar pressed for the early return of Indian nationals employed as helpers with the Russian Army in the Russia-Ukraine war zone, in a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. The ministers met in Astana on the margins of the SCO summit that kicked off Wednesday.

With PM Narendra Modi not participating, Jaishankar is representing India at the summit that is being attended by, among other leaders of the Eurasian bloc’s member-states, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. He is also expected to meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Thursday, although neither side officially confirmed the meeting. The Jaishankar Lavrov meeting also took place days before Modi’s visit to Russia next week, his first in 5 years, for the annual India-Russia summit.

Jaishankar and Lavrov also discussed the ongoing preparations for the summit next week which will see the leaders reaffirming commitment to their partnership on a range of issues, including military, energy and civil nuclear cooperation. TNN

`1,898cr loan for 13 sugar mills, 10 tied to Maha NCP, BJP netas

NCDC Assistance Comes Ahead Of State Assembly Polls

Similar loans were sanctioned for ailing mills before Lok Sabha polls too

Abhijeet.Patil@timesgroup.com

Kolhapur: Ahead of the assembly elections, the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has sanctioned a working capital loan of Rs 1,898 crore to Maharashtra govt. The funds will be ultimately infused into 13 sugar mills, five of which are linked to NCP politicians, and five to BJP netas.

NCDC is a statutory corporation under ministry of cooperation, which has been helmed by Union home minister since it came into existence in 2021.

The loan amount has been sanctioned based on a floating rate of interest. The loan is for eight years, including a moratorium period of two years on repayment of principal amount. However, there is no moratorium on payment of interest.

Similar loans were sanctioned for the ailing mills before Lok Sabha elections, too.

The highest amount of Rs 350 crore has been sanctioned for Kisanveer Satara Co-operative Sugar Factory Ltd at Buinj in Satara district, linked to an an NCP politician, and Shree Tatyasaheb Kore Warana Cooperative Sugar Factory Ltd at Warananagar in Kolhapur district, which is related to a BJP MLA’s associate.

The ailing sugar mills are unable to raise the working capital, which is mainly spent on maintenance, salaries, pension and dues of sugarcane farmers etc.

Vijay Autade, a sugar industry expert, said, “The loan cannot be used for developing new infrastructure. It is to be used for paying salaries and carrying out maintenance work. Many sugar factories are facing challenges which need concentrated effort. Otherwise, the mills will face a revenue deficit and seek loans every time they fall into a crisis.”

P G Medhe, another industry expert, said it was necessary to increase the minimum selling price of sugar to Rs 42 per kg and revise the rates of ethanol to ensure the mills are out of the red. “In last five years, the remunerative price to sugarcane farmers has increased five times, from Rs 2,750 to Rs 3,450 per tonne, but the MSP of sugar has not been raised. The mills have been bearing losses of Rs 500 to Rs 600 per tonne, and therefore, remain in spirallingdebt,” said Medhe.

HC orders community service by kin of 2 accused

Agartala: Tripura HC has ordered the families of two people accused of peddling drugs to conduct an anti-drug campaign and also turned down the bail plea of the two men held under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, reports Biswendu Bhattacharjee.

The new laws under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita have service as a form of correcting behaviour.

Despite being in custody for 78 days and the investigating officer submitting a partial chargesheet, Justice Lodh denied bail to Jibanjoy Tripura and Selenjoy Tripura citing their alleged involvement in another crime registered with Gandacherra police station. The accused are from Gandacherra in Dhalai district.

Justice Lodh expressed concern over the increasing instances of illicit drug seizures and arrests in Tripura, stating that the state has become a gateway and safe corridor for trading contraband.

As part of HC’s directive, the parents and family members of the accused are required to initiate a monthlong campaign against the use, consumption, and trading of illicit drugs in their villages and areas.

SC slams Manipur for denying med aid to tribal prisoner

‘WILL TAKE STATE TO TASK’

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Supreme Court on Wednesday strongly disapproved Manipur HC’s refusal to allow an ailing undertrial tribal person, arrested in Oct 2022 for possessing two kilograms of brown sugar, to be treated outside the prison because of simmering ethnic clashes.

While ordering immediate shifting of Lunkhongjam Haokip to Gauhati Medical College & Hospital for treatment, a vacation bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and Ujjal Bhuyan was critical of HC’s Feb 29, 2024 order declining shifting of the prisoner outside the jail as he belonged to a tribal community as it could be hazardous given the law and order situation.

Manipur witnessed clashes last year, to curb which even SC had to intervene. Over 200 persons lost their lives and many were left injured and homeless. While clashes have subsided, the tension — which burst open after HC asked the state govt to respond to a 10-year-old letter from the Centreon tribal status of an ethnic group — continues to simmer. Frowning at HC’s order and state’s lackadaisical approach, the SC bench told Manipur counsel Pukhrambam Ramesh, “We could have observed many things regarding state and HC. But we refrain from doing so for now.”

The bench found that the accused was examined in jail by a medical officer as he was suffering from piles, TB, chronic tonsillitis, abdominal pain as well as problems in his lower lumbar spine. “If medical report reveals anything serious, we will take state to task. He may be a criminal, might have committed a serious crime, but state has obligation to provide him medical treatment,” it said.

CBI arrests NEET leak co-conspirator

Singh is a key person in the paper leak case in Hazaribag and Patna. Alleged mastermind Sajeev Mukhiya is on the run

Anil.Ashutosh@timesgroup.com

Dhanbad: CBI on Wednesday arrested Aman Singh, an alleged coconspirator in NEET-UG paper leak case, from Saraidhela locality in Dhanbad. Though local CBI officials are tight-lipped, sources said a team from Patna raided the locality and arrested Singh.

While there was no response despite repeated calls to Dhanbad SP (CBI), Dhanbad SSP HP Janardanan too refused to elaborate except that Dhanbad police extended support sought by CBI officials.

According to sources, investigation so far has led the agency to a Jharkhand-based module alleged- ly involved in the NEET-UG paper leak case which led to the arrest of Singh from Dhanbad. Singh is a key person in the paper leak case in Hazaribag and Patna, with its alleged mastermind being Sajeev Mukhiya who is still absconding.

CBI had earlier arrested Ashutosh Kumar and Manish Kumar from Patna, Ehsanul Haque and Imtiaz Alam — principal and viceprincipal of Oasis School — in Hazaribag and a newspaper representative Jamaluddin Ansari, also from Hazaribag. Parts of burnt question papers were recovered by Bihar police from Ashutosh and Manish who had also provided shelter to NEET aspirants.

The CBI has registered six cases so far following reference from the Union ministry of education for a comprehensive investigation into the alleged irregularities in medical entrance examination.

Sumant studied 12 hours a day, took mock tests each weekend

Continued from P 1

This experience broadened his horizons and introduced him to the common admission test (CAT) and IIMs. “The IIT Madras course opened a whole new world to me,” he said.

Sumant dedicated himself to preparing for CAT, studying 12 hours a day, and scored an impressive 97 percentile. “Mathematics was my strength … I took mock tests ev- ery weekend,” he said. He credits his success to his uncle, an MBA, who provided both academic and financial support. “Throughout my journey, he supported me and guided me to reach IIM. He said if I make it to IIM, my fortunes will change,” Sumant said Wednesday.

At IIM Lucknow, Sumant is determined to excel in his studies and explore consulting roles. His immediate goal is to secure a corporate job to improve his family’s financial situation. “I have business plans, but I need work experience for that,” he said. Prof Priyanka Sharma, chairperson of student affairs at IIM Lucknow, expressed pride in having him on campus. “We provide special support to EWS quota students through financial aid, scholarships, and preparatory sessions to help them excel academically. The institute ensures these students have access to necessary resources and infrastructure,” she said.

HC frees death-row convict after 11 years, awards him `5L

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kochi: Kerala HC on Wednesday acquitted a death-row convict languishing in jail since 2013, setting aside a trial court judgment for wrongfully convicting him of the murder of a 57-year-old victim in Kollam in 2013.

A bench of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and V M Syam Kumar also directed the state govt to pay Gireesh Kumar Rs 5 lakh as compensation for his wrongful confinement for over 10 years.

Gireesh, a Kollam’s Parippally resident, was arrested on June 24, 2013, for Kundara Alice Varghese’s murder. The prosecution alleged that Gireesh absconded with articles worth Rs 6 lakh after killing Alice. In 2018, Kollam additional sessions court sentenced him to death.

While considering Gireesh’s appeal against the trial court’s judgment and state’s petition for death sentence review, HC identified several discrepancies in the investigation. It noted that the prosecution failed to prove that the golden ornaments recovered from a jewellery shop belonged to the deceased. Beyond the deposition of the circle inspector, there was no tangible evidence or valid reason to suspect Gireesh’s involvement in the crime, HC observed.

BRS govt tracked phones of a judge, wife: Hyd CP to HC

The phones were tracked for a year in violation of laws, Hyderabad police commissioner Kothakota Srinivas Reddy said

SagarKumar.Mutha@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad: Telangana HC bench hearing the phone tapping case was on Wednesday informed by Hyderabad police commissioner Kothakota Srinivas Reddy that the previous BRS govt got the phones of even an HC judge and his wife tracked.

In a detailed affidavit submitted before a bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice T Vinod Kumar, Reddy revealed the accused cops had obtained the call data record (CDR) of Justice K Sarath and his wife for a year, and also procured Internet Protocol Detail Record (IPDR) .

“Our investigators took the permission of Hyderabad chief metropolitan magistrate to obtain these details from telecom service providers,” the CP said in his affidavit before the bench, which resumed hearing into the suo motu writ petition on the phone tapping.

The city police chief further said that the accused Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) personnel had sent requests from their official emails to the nodal officer of Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd in Hyderabad, seeking CDR and IPDR details of the phones of Justice Sarath and his wife on Sept 9, 2023. They obtained CDRs of these phones for the period from Sept 10, 2022 to Sept 9, 2023. The IPDR particulars of the two phones were obtained from Aug 8, 2023, to Sept 7, 2023, the CP said in his affidavit.

The other names mentioned in the affidavit, for which the accused cops obtained CDR and IPDR, included politicians, bureaucrats, cops and media persons. The list included then opposition leader A Revanth Reddy (now CM), his brothers Anumula Kondal Reddy and Anumula Tirupati Reddy, and several MLAs.

The phone tapping was done in violation of laws, the CP said, adding that the mobile numbers were intercepted or CDR and IPDR data collected without any justifiable reason, such as a public emergency or in the interest of public safety.

While phone tapping has to be authorised by either Union or state home secretary, BRS govt entrusted the task to SIB chief T Prabhakar Rao, accused number one in the case, he further said.

The bench directed Union home secretary to file a counter within two weeks and fixed the next hearing for July23.

Army says family of Agniveer Ajay Kumar already paid `98 lakh

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Indian Army on Wednesday refuted claims that the family of Agniveer Ajay Kumar, who lost his life while on duty, was not paid compensation.

“Of the total amount due, family of Agniveer Ajay has already been paid Rs 98.4 lakh. Ex gratia and other benefits amounting to Rs 67 lakh, as applicable according to the provisions of the Agnipath scheme, will be paid on the final account settlement shortly after due police verification. The total amount will be approximately Rs 1.65 crore,” the Army said.

“It is re-emphasised that emoluments due to a fallen hero are paid expeditiously to the next of the kin of departed soldiers, including Agniveers,” it added.

The statement came amid Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that Agniveers were not given any compensation and the assertion of defence minister Rajnath Singh that recruits who lay down their lives in the line of duty are entitled to a compensation of Rs 1 crore as part of the scheme.

Rahul, who had visited the family of Ajay, who died in a mine blast in Nowshera sector in J&K, had given his example to say that Agnipath was a “use and throw” scheme.

While identifying Agniveers as soldiers, the Army also said it “salutes the supreme sacrifice made by Agniveer Ajay Kumar”, adding that his last rites were carried out with full military honours. While Ajay’s father had said that his family was paid Rs 48 lakh, his sister Bakhsho said the family got the money in June.

K’taka cancels plot allocation after row over CM wife’s land

Bengaluru: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah suspended Wednesday the allocation of alternative sites by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), in response to BJP’s allegations of nepotism and irregularities in a Rs 4,000-crore land-allotment scam. This suspension includes the allocation of premium alternative sites made to his wife Parvathi as a replacement for three acres and 36 guntas that her brother had gifted her.

“Since we have suspended the allocation, there is no monetary loss to MUDA as alleged by BJP,” he said, underscoring that the allocations were made when BJP was in office between 2019 and 2023.

The controversy erupted after BJP accused MUDA of deviating from the standard site allotment ratio of 40:60, allegedly favouring a 50:50 ratio for CM’s wife on Siddaramaiah’s directive. BJP MLA R Ashoka alleged that while 86,000 poor applicants were denied sites, CM’s wife received 14 sites in a Mysuru locality as compensation for land in Kesare village.

Regarding BJP’s demand for his resignation over the alleged involvement in MUDA and Valmiki Development ST Corporation irregularities, Siddaramaiah questioned the basis for such demands. TNN

Kharge cites RSS mouthpiece to attack PM on Constitution

Congress accused the PM of losing an opportunity to send out a message of unity to Manipur by refusing to allow MP Alfred Arthur to speak for a minute

Subodh.Ghildiyal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Slamming PM Narendra Modi for attacking Congress on Constitution and Ambedkar, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday pointed out that RSS had opposed the Constitution “in writing” in 1950 and burnt effigies of Ambedkar and Nehru in the capital to lodge its protest against the statute.

Congress also accused the PM of losing an opportunity to send out a message of unity to Manipur by refusing to allow Outer Manipur MP Alfred Arthur to speak for a minute ahead of his speech in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Congress MPs Gaurav Gogoi and Praniti Shinde told reporters, “The PM resorted to jokes and sarcasm, and old allegations, and degraded the political discourse, but refused to let a Manipur MP speak for a minute, which would have demonstrated sensitivity to the people of the state. This led to the northeast MPs’ protest.”

Shinde said the PM will not be given free passage in future also, and he will have to give respect to the opposition and show sensitivity, adding that he is responsible for the atrocities in Manipur and cannot escape accountability.

After walking out of Rajya Sabha in protest against the PM’s comments and the chair’s refusal to give him a chance to clarify on Wednesday, Kharge said on X that in an editorial in Organiser magazine in 1949, RSS gave vent to its ideas regarding Manusmriti, saying “in our Constitution, there is no mention of the unique constitutional developments in ancient Bharat. Manu’s laws were written long before Lycurgus of Sparta or Solon of Persia. To this day laws as enunciated in the Manusmriti excite the admiration of the world and elicit spontaneous obedience and conformity. But to our constitutional pundits (read Ambedkar) that means nothing.” Kharge added RSS had protested against Ambedkar and Nehru.

In contrast, Kharge said, Ambedkar had lavished praise on Congress for mak- ing him chairman of the Constitution drafting committee, “despite more capable persons present in the constituent assembly for the job” and had stated that Congress deserved the credit for the drafting of the Constitution.

“Modi calls us opposed to Constitution and Ambedkar when history says that BJP, Jan Sangh and RSS are born opponents of the Constitution and Ambedkar,” Kharge said outside Parliament, flanked by Sonia Gandhi, Sharad Pawar and the entire opposition bloc.

The Congress president said he repeatedly sought permission from the Chair to clarify these facts in Rajya Sabha but was not given a chance, while the PM had himself intervened along with many ministers during Rahul Gandhi’s speech in Lok Sabha.

Govt looking at ‘watermarking’ AI-bred content to curb misuse

Pankaj.Doval@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Govt on Wednesday said it is looking at “labelling and watermarking” of AIgenerated content as its misuse — including through creation of synthetically-built content such as deepfakes — has the potential to amplify misinformation and disrupt democratic processes such as elections.

Discussions at the ‘Global IndiaAI Summit’ here saw IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and secretary S Krishnan speak about the benefits arising out of AI even as they cautioned against its misuse while making a case for policy-making and creating guard-rails.

Krishnan also highlighted the need to address the inherent bias that can creep into AI platforms, and said this can be tackled by developing indigenous foundational models and more India-specific data.

Vaishnaw, giving out the inaugural address at the summit, said while the potential of AI for transformation and social good is evident, countries across the world also recognise the threats and risks associated with the cutting-edge technological leap.

Amritpal gets 4-day parole, to take oath as MP tomorrow

Yudhvir Rana & Neel Kamal | TNN

Amritsar/Bathinda: Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh, MP-elect of Khadoor Sahib parliamentary constituency of Punjab, who is currently lodged in Assam’s high-security Dibrugarh Jail under the National Security Act (NSA), has been granted conditional custody parole for up to or less than four days from July 5, for him to take oath as MP.

Amritsar deputy commissioner Ghanshyam Thori, who was authorised by the Punjab govt to decide on his parole, confirmed this on Wednesday, saying that specific conditions governing the parole have been conveyed to the superintendent of Dibrugarh Jail.

After meeting Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birlaon Wednesday, Faridkot MP Sarabjit Singh said that Amritpal Singh will take oath as an MP on July 5in the Speaker’s chamber. He added that the MP-elect will be brought to Delhi on July 5.

Won’t let Cong succeed in plan to stall House: Rijiju

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday hit out at the INDIA bloc for intentionally disrupting PM Modi’s speeches in both Houses of Parliament.

Congress and other parties were allocated adequate time to raise all issues during the discussion on the motion of thanks on the President’s address and yet they chose to disrupt the PM’s reply in both Houses, he told reporters.

“Some interruptions during the speech are okay but disrupting the entire twohour speech of the Prime Minister by raising slogans is definitely not done. This has never happened,” Rijiju said.

The minister said the govt will never allow the Congress strategy to stall Parliament proceedings to succeed. “We will continue to run the House as per rules,” he said.

Rijiju said the next session of Parliament, expected to begin in the last week of July, will be a fresh session when finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the general budget.

Woman drugged, gang-raped by colleagues in car

Hyderabad: Two sales executives of a well-known real estate firm here were arrested Wednesday for allegedly drugging, raping and beating their 26-year-old colleague for hours inside a car on the night of June 30. The colleagues left the woman outside a private hostel in Miyapur after the crime, police said. The accused, identified as Sanga Reddy (39) and Janardhan Reddy (25), were sent in judicial custody on Wednesday.

While a zero FIR was initially filed at Uppal police station based on a complaint by the survivor, the case was subsequently transferred to Miyapur police station as the crime occurred under the latter’s jurisdiction. The accused have been booked under IPC sections 376 (rape), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 509 (insulting modesty of woman) and 420 (cheating), Miyapur SHO V Durga Rama Linga Prasad said. “The survivor has been sent for medical examination,” he added.

TNN

BJP doesn’t know tenets of Hinduism: Rahul on Guj attack

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Rae Bareli MP and leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi alleged on Wednesday that “BJP people who spread violence and hatred do not understand the basic principles of Hinduism”, as he hit out at the governing party for what he described as a “cowardly and violent attack” on the party’s office in Ahmedabad.

His remarks came in reaction to the incident where workers of BJP and Congress hurled stones at each other outside Gujarat Congress headquarters in Ahmedabad on Tuesday during a protest against the remarks made by Gandhi in the Lok Sabha.

“The cowardly and violent attack on the Gujarat Congress office further reinforces my point about BJP and the Sangh Parivar. BJP people who spread violence and hatred do not understand the basic principles of Hinduism,” Gandhi said in a post on X in Hindi.

“The people of Gujarat can clearly see through their lies and will teach BJP govt a decisive lesson. I am saying it again — INDIA is going to win in Gujarat!” Gandhi added.

Jamiat hails Rahul speech, calls for unity against hate

Lauding Rahul Gandhi’s maiden speech as the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Maulana chief Arshad Madani on Wednesday said Jamiat hopes that other opposition leaders will also raise their voice fearlessly in Parliament against “violence, hatred and injustice”.

While refusing to comment on the many issues raised by Rahul, Madani said, “but we support what he said about violence and hatred because no religion in the world allows violence and hatred. Those who use it to spread hatred and violence cannot be true followers of their religion.” “What Rahul Gandhi has said has been the stand of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind and its leaders since day one, and they have always said that religion teaches love, tolerance and unity. No religion allows violence in any form,” Madani reiterated.

TNN

Oppn lacks courage to hear the truth, running away: PM

‘People Have Reposed Faith In NDA To Protect Constitution’

PM Modi charged Congress with putting ‘one family above all’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday escalated his counter-offensive against the opposition and asserted that if the Lok Sabha polls were indeed a referendum on protection of the Constitution, then people considered NDA as more suitable for the job and said his opponents lacked the strength and courage to accept the fact of their defeat.

As opposition members walked out during his reply to the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s address, the PM said, “The country is watching. People who spread lies have no strength to hear the truth. They don’t have the courage to face the truth. They don’t even have the courage to listen to the replies to questions they raised during the discussion and can only run away. They are insulting the upper House and insulting its tradition.”

Modi said the opposition had been defeated so convincingly that they had no option but to shout slogans on the streets. “Sloganeering, shouting and running away from the field are their destiny,” he said.

The opposition walked out as Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar did not concede their demand to allow LoP Mallikarjun Kharge to intervene when the PM was speaking.

Dhankhar lashed out at opposition MPs and Kharge and said he had given the LoP adequate time to speak without interruption. “Today, they did not leave the House, they left their dignity. Today, they did not show me their back, they showed it to the Constitution,” he said. Condemning their behaviour, Dhankhar said there could not be a greater insult to the Constitution than this.

During the entire discussion on the President’s address, Constitution took the centrestage with both opposition and treasury benches raising the issue.

Modi said the recent LS polls were not the first in which Constitution was in play. “Let me remind them that in the election of 1977, the only issue was to reinstate democracy and protect Constitution. That was the biggest election for protection of Constitution and people defeated the then govt. If this time it was an election to protect the Constitution, people have found us as able for that task and people have voted for us,” he said.

The PM accused Congress of hypocrisy by recalling the 38th, 39th and 42nd amendments to the Constitution which sought to change the statute radically . He emphasised that through amendments Congress had sought to extend the term of Lok Sabha. "You were elected in 1971 for five years but went on to occupy office until March 1977. Was that constitutional?" he asked. Taking a dig at Sonia Gandhiled National Advisory Council during the 10 years of UPA govt, Modi said this entity was placed over the PM. “Was it a constitutional post? You destroyed the office of PM. You remote controlled it,” he said.

Modi also charged the Congress with putting “one family above all”, including the holders of constitutional offices.

ED may move SC seeking stay on Soren’s bail in laundering case

Pradeep.Thakur@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Enforcement Directorate is likely to move Supreme Court seeking stay on the single bench order of Jharkhand HC giving bail to former CM Hemant Soren last week in a land grab and money laundering case. Soren was arrested on January 31.

Soren was released from Birsa Munda jail on Friday after Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay rejected ED’s arguments and evidence alleging that the former CM was directly involved in the land grab case.

Sources said ED will appeal against this order in the apex court as a trial court had already taken cognisance of a chargesheet filed against Soren. The CM’s bail application was rejected by the SC on May 22, when the apex court had observed that since a trial court had already taken cognisance of the chargesheet against him and rejected his application for regular bail, Soren should not have approached it for interim bail.

Soren’s challenge to his arrest was also rejected by Jharkhand HC on May 3, after which he had approached the SC. His lawyer had sought interim relief to canvass for the Lok Sabha polls after the SC had granted interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal.

After his first round of custodial interrogation, ED had claimed before a special court in Ranchi that while in custody, Soren was confronted with WhatsApp chats with other accused related to allegations of money laundering but he had refused to cooperate. The agency had then claimed Soren’s chats over WhatsApp with his close associate Binod Singh were highly incriminating and contained transaction details of several properties.

Rahul incited MPs, it’s against constitutional norms: BJP

UNDER ATTACK

Akhilesh.Singh@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Citing a video of Rahul Gandhi allegedly egging Congress MPs on to troop into the well of Lok Sabha to disrupt PM Narendra Modi’s speech a day earlier, BJP on Wednesday launched a furious attack on the newly-appointed leader of opposition for orchestrating the pandemonium.

“Those who believe in democratic principles have found it difficult to believe what happened in Parliament on Tuesday. When PM Narendra Modi was speaking, Rahul Gandhi was inciting opposition MPs . This is clearly visible in the video also,” said Anil Baluni, BJP’s chief spokesperson.

“Rahul Gandhi roams around with a copy of the Constitution but openly violates constitutional norms in the House itself. His behavior in the House shows how much he respects the Constitution.” BJP social media handles released videos from the Lok Sabha proceedings to allege that the disruptions which saw Congress MPs parking themselves in front of the PM and gin up a din to drown him out was premeditated. Education minister Dharmendra Prasad said that Congress’s claim that they were protesting the manner in which Outer Manipur MP Alfred Kanngam S. Arthur was not allowed to speak, was an alibi that was “manufactured to justify the unjustifiable.”

The other Congress MP from Manipur Angomcha Bimol Akoijam had spoken at length the previous night and if Congress was still keen on getting Arthur they could have accommodated him in the 90 minutes which were assigned to the party. “The sudden concern for Arthur being allowd to speak was an afterthought,” said Pradhan.

The saffron party also released visuals from 2002 of Sonia Gandhi apparently exhorting Congress benches for a possible duel with the opposition to say that Rahul had taken the “disruption baton” from her”. “It runs in the family, said Pradhan.”

“Rahul Gandhi’s mother Sonia Gandhi had used similar disruptive tactics against the Atal Bihari Vajpayee govt,” the party claimed.

“What Balak Buddhi Rahul Gandhi did yesterday is neither surprising nor new. His mother Sonia Gandhi would do the same to heckle PM Vajpayee… But Mr Modi is no Vajpayee and Rahul isn’t Sonia either. Third Time Fail Rahul Gandhi has reduced himself to a caricature,” said Amit Malviya.

New Army chief visits J&K, reviews preparedness on LoC

Gen Dwivedi (L) inspected forward locations in Poonch-Rajouri

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The operational situation along the line of control with Pakistan as well as the counter-terrorist operations in the Jammu region was reviewed first-hand by Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Wednesday.

Gen Dwivedi, in his first outstation trip after taking over the reins of the over 11-lakh strong Army, visited forward locations in the Poonch- Rajouri sector, which has witnessed a spike in terrorist attacks including a series of military-style ambushes that have killed several soldiers.

The visit also comes after the terror- ist attack on a bus of pilgrims in Reasi on June 9, in which nine were killed and 33 injured, as well as amid steppedup security arrangements for the ongoing Amarnath Yatra. The densely-forested hilly area has easier infiltration routes from across the LoC as compared to the Kashmir region. “The Army chief, accompanied by Northern Command chief Lt-Gen M V Suchindra Kumar and 16 Corps commander Lt-Gen Navin Sachdeva, was briefed on the operational preparedness by the commanders on the ground,” an officer said.

“The chief lauded all ranks for maintaining high standards of professionalism and exhorted them to remain steadfast to meet all current and emerging security challenges. He also interacted with veterans and parents of those soldiers from the Poonch region who laid down their lives in various operations,” he added.

“As per intelligence inputs, there are around 30 Pakistan-origin or trained terrorists in the upper reaches of the Poonch-Rajouri sector. The human intelligence grid, which had weakened after the Uniform Force moved out, is also being strengthened and there is an ongoing outreach to the local population,” another officer said.

AFTER DEATHS, CLAIMS OF A COVER-UP

Organisers ignored injured, rushed to wipe out evidence, say eyewitnesses

Rahul.Singh1@timesgroup.com

Hathras: Several devotees and locals present at self-styled ‘godman’ Bhole Baba’s satsang, which resulted in a massive stampede on Tuesday claimed that the organisers ignored injured devotees and instead rushed to hide evidence before police arrived.

Eyewitnesses TOI spoke to claimed that as the tragedy struck, “organisers of the satsang began clearing evidence”. “They started removing thousands of slippers lying outside the ‘pandal’ to mislead the investigation and hide the actual turnout number,” said Ramakant, 52, alocal

He added, “In fact, the injured were begging for arrangement of vehicles for hospitals, but they (the organisers) were busy dismantling the tent structure and wiping off the dais and such thing which could later land them in trouble. I attended the satsang, too.” Another eyewitness said, “They actually did not want police to find anything during their investigation.”

Om Veer Yadav, a farmer who lives near the venue, said, “Some organising members were behaving like goons. They carried sticks, hitting people at will. They had parked their buses and cars outside our houses and on the main road in preparation for the event two weeks ago. They blocked traffic on both sides of the service lane. We couldn’t take out our tractors fearing they would misbehave with us.”

Yadav said that loudspeakers and other paraphernalia were also quickly bundled and taken away. “But such a big event will leave its mark, however hard one tries to pretend that it never took place.”

Moreover, organisers of the satsang committee had purportedly taken complete responsibility to hold the event, “refusing support from police or administration”, claimed a local. Formal permission for the event was taken only from the SDM, he added.

Dressed in pink uniforms, over 10,000 men — all devotees — were deployed to manage the traffic, crowd and other ar- rangements. There were hardly any professionals or agencies present for crowd management, said a devotee.

A pandal was erected at the satsang venue on a 10-acre open ground next to the DelhiEtah National Highway-91 in Sikandra Rau, Hathras.

Asphyxia main cause of deaths, say officials

Hathras: Asphyxia due to compression was the leading cause of death among the victims, a senior health department official said on Wednesday. Doctors at S N Medical College in Agra said they faced an unprecedented situation, with four times the usual number of autopsies in a day. “Of the 27 bodies brought to us, autopsy of 22 was concluded while the mortuary prepared for the others,” Etah’s additional chief medical officer Dr Ram Mohan Tiwari said.

Agra CMO Dr Arun Kumar Srivastava said most of the victims were women between 40 and 50. “Generally, the Etah hospital conducts four to five post-mortems a day. The influx vastly exceeded this average.” Deepak Lavania

Baba claimed he could revive dead, was held

Deepak.Lavania@timesgroup.com

Hathras: Narayan Sakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba, his wife and four others were arrested in 1998 for claiming to possess “magical powers” to resurrect a dead girl in Agra. Shahganj SHO Tejveer Singh said the case involved a 16-year-old girl who died of cancer, and the baba claimed that he could bring her back to life.

The FIR shows the baba was charged under IPC section 109 and the Drugs and Magic Remedies (objectionable advertisements) Act after his followers created a commotion at a crematorium. Pankaj Kumar said the baba had adopted his niece, who had been diagnosed cancer. After she fainted one day, he claimed he could revive the “dead girl”. She regained consciousness but died soon after.

“Surajpal, along with more than 200 people, reached the cremation ground and tried to convince the familythat he could resurrect her,” Singh said. The followers took the body by force.

“When we arrived, he and his supporters pelted stones at us. We arrested Surajpal, his wife and the others involved,” he said.

Scattered slippers, shoes tell tragic tales

Rahul.Singh1@timesgroup.com

Hathras: Slippers and shoes scattered over a mile on NH-91 tell a horrific story of the stampede. The eerie sight of abandoned footwear paints a picture of heartbreak.

Keshav Yadav, who lives 500m away from the venue, said, “Devotees were told to remove their footwear before they entered the ground. The crowd was huge, and the shoe house was packed, with some leaving them on the road and near buses. They couldn’t come back to collect them. I found a few slippers outside my house. Some belonging to kids under five.”

The slippers of those who died or were injured were swept away by trucks, vehicles, rain, and wind. Many broke down at the sight of the scattered footwear.

Many locals bundled the slippers and threw them at banners with the baba’s face announcing the satsang. “When he came here in 2011, some people who attended his satsang died mysteriously. He was not as well known then, and there were hardly 25,000 people at the event. This time it is tragic. He is a curse,” said Yashpal Yadav. “A preacher never asks his followers to touch his feet, but he does,” Yashpal added.

Nod for 80k, but 2.5 lakh came for satsang, says FIR

Baba Not Named In Complaint, Event Organisers Blamed

According to the FIR, a crowd running in a sludge-filled field behind the baba’s car was forcibly stopped by the organisers armed with sticks, increasing the pressure and resulting in people being crushed

Deepak.Lavania@timesgroup.com

Hathras: UP police on Wednesday registered an FIR in the Hathras stampede tragedy, naming ‘mukhya sevadar’ (chief volunteer) Devprakash Madhukar and other organisers of the congregation, but not mentioning the conductor of the event, Sakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba )real name Surajpal Singh).

The FIR said the organisers “underreported the number of expected attendees, did not cooperate in managing traffic, and concealed evidence after the stampede, which occurred when people stopped to collect soil from the path of the baba’s vehicle.” The FIR indicated that the police and administration did everything possible with available resources.

Filed at the Sikandra Rau, the FIR cited “culpable homicide not amounting to murder, attempt to commit culpable homicide, wrongful restraint, disobedience to a public servant’s order, and causing the disappearance of evidence.”

Sub-inspector Brijesh Pandey, the complainant, said Madhukar and others organised the satsang held between Fulrai and Mughal Garhi village on GT Road in Sikandra Rau. They had permission for 80,000 attendees, but over 2.5 lakh turned up, leading to severe traffic jams. Video clips showed a large crowd with the baba seated on a throne.

“On the other side of the road, the crowd running behind the baba’s car was forcibly stopped by the ‘sevadars’ armed with sticks, increasing the pressure and resulting in people being crushed,” the FIR said, adding that the organisers and volunteers did not cooperate.

‘Sexual assault cases in several cities’

Hathras: Surajpal Singh has several cases filed against him including those of sexual assault. These cases were filed in various cities including Agra, Etawah, Kasganj, Farrukhabad as well as towns in Rajasthan. Singh also spent some time in jail and reinvented himself as ‘Sakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba’ after his release and began attracting devotees to his ashram in his ancestral village, added the sources. Deepak Lavania

Yogi sniffs ‘conspiracy’, orders judicial probe

UP CM blamed organisers, said volunteers tried to suppress incident

Deepak.Lavania@timesgroup.com

Hathras: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath visited Hathras on Wednesday after the stampede at the religious event conducted by preacher Surajpal Singh. He ordered a judicial inquiry, led by a retired HC judge, and said that he suspected a “possible conspiracy” behind the tragedy.

Yogi said that retired administrative and police officials will also be part of the judicial inquiry. “Such an incident cannot be considered a mere accident. If it is indeed an accident, those responsible must be identified; if not, the conspiracy behind it must be uncovered,” he said.

Without naming anyone, he said, “Some people tend to politicise sad and painful incidents. These people have the nature of chori bhi aur seenajori bhi (committing a crime and then being brazen about it). Everyone knows with whom the preacher’s photos are and his political connections,” he said in an apparent reference to Baba’s pictures with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav that started circulating soon after the incident.

“You must have seen which rallies witnessed chaos and stampede-like situations during the LS election campaign,” Yogi said, adding “It is necessary to go into details of these factors.”

The CM also held the event organisers and ‘sevadars’ (volunteers) responsible for the deaths.

“The most distressing aspect was that the volunteers did not allow the administration to enter the premises initially and tried to suppress the incident. When the administration started sending people to the hospital, the volunteers fled the scene,” he said. “Strict action will be taken against those found guilty and we will ensure such incidents do not occur in the future,” Yogi added.

The CM said most of the deceased were from Uttar Pradesh, while others hailed from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana. Specifically, people from 16 districts in Uttar Pradesh, including Hathras, Badaun, Kasganj, Etah, Lalitpur, Firozabad, Mathura, Pilibhit, and Lakhimpur Kheri, were affected. Six victims were from other states, including Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan.

Retd HC judge to lead 3-member panel

Lucknow: Retired HC judge Brijesh Kumar Srivastava will lead a judicial panel to investigate the stampede and submit its report within two months. It also includes retired IAS officer Hemant Rao and retired IPS officer Bhavesh Kumar Singh. The panel will probe whether the organisers adhered to the terms and conditions put forth by the administration for granting permission for the event and find out if the incident was an accident or result of any conspiracy or criminal act.

TNN

SDM’s report says Baba’s guards triggered chaos

The body count written on a victim. Baba’s security guards and ‘sevadars’ pushed followers to stop them from getting too close to the preacher, and several fell down and were trampled upon by others

Deepak.Lavania@timesgroup.com

Hathras: Commotion and chaos possibly caused the stampede after personal security guards of Narayan Sakar Hari Bhole Baba pushed some followers, leading to the death of 121 people at Fulrai village in Hathras district on Tuesday, read the preliminary report filed by Ravindra Kumar, sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Sikandra Rao. It was Kumar who had given permission for the satsang.

In a report to Hathras district magistrate, Kumar said when the baba was leaving the venue, his followers started running towards him to catch a glimpse and collect soil from around his feet.

“The baba reached the venue at 12.30pm and the event went on for an hour. When he was leaving the venue, people started rushing towards him to seek his blessings. A large number of people were already standing on the divider on GT road and they too started running towards him,” the SDM said in his report.

The report added that the preacher’s private security guards and ‘sevadars’ pus- hed some followers in a bid to stop them from going too close to the preacher. Several people fell after they were pushed, leading to panic and the crowd went out of control.

“To get relief from the chaos, people rushed towards the open field nearby, where several people slipped on a slope and others trampled upon them while trying to leave the satsang venue in a haste,” the report added. The field was filled with water and slush due to the rain.

An eyewitness said peo- ple kept pleading with the ‘sevadars’ to allow them to pass as the crowd was piling up and they were unable to breathe due to the intense humidity. The guards however insisted that “ pehle baba ji jayenge, fir bhakt (Baba will leave first, then the followers).”

DM Ashish Kumar said the satsang was a private function for which the SDM had granted permission. The administration provided security outside the venue, while arrangements inside were made by the organisers.

Baba flees, blames goons for stampede

The ‘throne’ from which the baba conducted the satsang in Hathras. He is believed to be at his Mainpuri ashram with some followers

Deepak.Lavania@timesgroup.com

Hathras: In his first reaction to the stampede, Narayan Hari Bhole Baba on Wednesday said the tragedy was “the handiwork of anti-social elements and goons.” The baba, in a statement issued through his lawyer, also said he had left the venue “before the stampede”. Expressing grief and condolences over the death of his followers, he wished for the speedy recovery of those injured.

Locals, however, claimed the baba “fled the scene” on Tuesday afternoon when people were dying. He is now believed to be at his lavish ashram in Mainpuri along with some of his followers. The police have been trying to establish contact with him but, according to officials, he has “refused to meet anyone”.

Police have cordoned off the area where and fire brigade vehicles have been stationed nearby. “We are prepared to handle any situation,” an officer said.

The main road, the open ground out- side the ashram and the nearby settlements, are under surveillance. DSP Sunil Kumar Singh said, “Security has been tightened. It is not clear whether the baba is inside the ashram or not.”

The baba (real name) Surajpal Singh hails from Bahadur Nagar village in Patiyali sub-division of Kasganj. He was employed as a constable in UP police and was later promoted to the rank of head constable. He took voluntary retirement in 1990 after almost 10 years in service.

Singh started delivering sermons and discourses, and came to be known as Bhole Baba and his wife, Matashree. The couple has no children. After 1997, his “spiritual journey” gained momentum, and people started attending his discourses, seeking solutions to their problems. The baba claimed he could cure ailments just by touching people.

Enticed by his “miracles”, the number of devotees grew. He established his first ashram at his ancestral village of Bahadur Nagar. Subsequently, more ashrams came up in north India. The Mainpuri ashram was built a decade ago. “His followers throng this place whether the baba is present or not. They take tap water (amrit for devotees) ,” said a local.

‘Kids too small to be home alone died’

A toy lies abandoned at the site of the tragedy. Meanwhile, an eyewitness said a girl aged 8-9 years was lying on a road divider, gasping for breath, but before he could do anything, she had died

Rahul.Singh1@timesgroup.com

Hathras: Kishori Lal, 48, a resident of Bisauli in Badaun district in western Uttar Pradesh, lost his 42-year-old wife and four-year-old son in Tuesday’s Hathras stampede.

Recalling the moment when he saw them dead at the community health centre (CHC) in Sikandra Rau, Lal wept bitterly, unconsolable.

“After a long wait of 20 years of marriage, we were blessed with a son. My wife went to the satsang and took our child with her. I went to Kasganj to buy farm products. When I came back, I called my wife, and some other person answered and told me about the stampede. I rushed to a nearby hospital and saw piles of bodies lying everywhere. Most of them were women and children. After checking some of them, I found my wife and son lying lifeless on a stretcher. Why am I alive? I should’ve left with them too.”

Among the dead in the incident were children — too small to be left at home alone. “Most of them were under 10 years of age,” said Suryadev Yadav, a local resident.

Sonu Sharma, who was travelling to Etah at the time of the incident, added, “I was passing by the venue on the national highway when to my utter shock, I saw people lying dead along the roadside. I had no clue what had happened...”

He added, “I saw a little girl lying on the highway divider. I rushed towards her. She was around 8-9 years old. I grabbed her in my arms -she was gasping for breath. Before I could do anything, she collapsed. Many other children and women were dead too. I’ll never forget the scenes that I saw for the rest of my life.”

Recall ‘misguiding’ lake tragedy report: HC to Guj

Ahmedabad: Calling the inquiry committee’s report on Vadodara’s Harni Lake tragedy “misguiding” and saying that it failed to fix responsibility on senior officials, Gujarat HC on Wednesday directed the state govt to withdraw its report. It ordered a further inquiry and fresh report on the process of awarding contract for lake redevelopment.

The boat capsize incident in Jan this year led to the death of 14 people, including 12 schools kids.

Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Pranav Trivedi, in their remark on the report , said: “A kind of mess is created in the report so that we may not reach a conclusion.”

The court questioned how the municipal commissioner could have issued a work order without looking into the reality, and criticized the inquiry report for giving him a clean chit by saying that he has done nothing wrong. TNN

Victim’s kin want to oppose in SC Porsche teen bail

Jabalpur: The family of Anish Awadhia — one of the two techies killed in the Pune Porsche accident in May — seeks to be an intervener in SC in the appeal against Bombay HC’s decision to grant bail to the juvenile ac- cused of driving the car, reports Siddharth Pandey.

On June 25, Bombay HC granted bail to the minor, observing that his detention in an observation home was illegal. Maharashtra govt said it would move SC against the order. “ I intend to present my pain before the apex court so that the court can understand our agony as well,” Anish’s father said.

Sources said the family can seek probe under Bhartiya Nyaya Sakshya Sanhita.

NDA allies secure key positions in new Cabinet committees

New Delhi: In a noticeable change, ministers from all NDA allies have found a place in the cabinet committees constituted by govt on Wednesday, reports Dipak Dash.

Since Oct 2020, the members of the eight committees were only BJP ministers. In Sept 2020, Ram Vilas Paswan was the last minister from an alliance partner to make it to a committee.

Two cabinet ministers from BJP-led NDA’s big allies, Rajiv Ranjan Singh (alias Lalan Singh) of JD(U) and K Rammohan Naidu of TDP, have been included in two crucial panels — Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA) and Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA). One minister each from two other allies — Chirag Paswan of LJP (Ram Vilas) and Jitan Ram Manjhi of Hindustani Awam Morcha —are part of the Cabinet Committee on Investment and Growth and Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, respectively.

Two Union ministers with independent charge from ally parties — Jayant Chaudhary of RLD and Pratap Rao Jadhav of Shiv Sena — have been made special invitees to the Cabinet Committee on Skill, Employment and Livelihood, and Cabinet Committee of Investment and Growth, respectively.

While PM Modi heads six cabinet committees, home minister Amit Shah heads the Cabinet Committee on Accommodation and defence minister Rajnath Singh heads CCPA. Former MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been made a member of CCEA. While Shah is a member of all the eight panels, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is in seven committees, followed by Rajnath (6) and transport minister Nitin Gadkari and commerce minister Piyush Goyal are members of five committees each.

SC raps NIA, lower court for breaching right to speedy trial

 Continued from P1

The case was handed to NIA after it was found that Shaikh, who while in Dubai was allegedly given the counterfeit notes printed in Pakistan, was asked to deliver the fake currency to certain persons for circulation in India.

Rejecting NIA counsel’s request for time to file a response to Shaikh’s bail plea, the bench said, “You are NIA but the law does not absolve you from facilitating speedy trial to the accused, who has been in jail for the last four years. The charges are not yet framed and the prosecution intends to examine as many as 80 witnesses.”

While wondering as to when such a large number of witnesses would be examined and trial be completed, the vacation bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and Ujjal Bhuyan decided to grant him bail, and said, “The manner in which the prosecuting agency and the trial court have proceeded, the accused person’s right to speedy trial stands breached.”

The bench set aside the Bombay HC order declining bail and ordered Shaikh’s release. However, it asked the accused not to leave the city of Mumbai and report to the NIA office once every week.

In Feb 1979, SC in its judgment in the Hussain Ara Khatoon case had, for the first time, linked the right to speedy trial with the right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. It had ruled, “A speedy trial is the essence of criminal justice and, therefore, delay in trial by itself constitutes denial of justice. Though a speedy trial is not specifically enumerated as a fundamental right, it is implicit in the broad sweep and content of Art 21.”

Party comes first, ‘emotional’ Champai said at meeting: MLA

Continued from P1

As BJP and AJSU Party railed against JMM for what they called Champai’s “unceremonious exit”, the outgoing CM reached Raj Bhavan around 7.20pm with Hemant Sorenand senior functionaries of Congress and RJD to submit his resignation to governor C P Radhakrishnan. Hemant immediately staked claim to form the next govt, submitting a letter of support from 44 MLAs of the governing coalition.

“I got the responsibility (of being CM) due to the political turn of events in Jan. Now that Hemant babu is back, we have again chosen him to lead the party and govt,” Champai, who wears the epithet ‘Tiger of Kolhan’ for championing the tribal cause, told reporters.

JMM’s central spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharjee, who had said last week that Champai would likely resign but that Hemant would prefer not to disturb govt, announced later that the governor had accepted the change proposed by the party.

Hemant had quit as CM hours before his Jan 31 arrest by ED in the Ranchi land scam and money laundering cases and picked Champai, Seraikela MLA, as his successor.

Hemant had convened a meeting of all MLAs and alliance partners at his residence in the morning. The meeting began soon after Congress’s Jharkhand incharge Ghulam Ahmed Mir arrived in Ranchi from Delhi. Hemant was unanimously chosen to lead the coalition again, party functionaries said. An MLA said Champai was “emotional”, but told the meeting that “party comes first”.

State health minister and Congress MLA Banna Gupta said, “Champai ji had to don a new role under different political situations. Now that Hemant ji is out, everyone amicably decided that he should take charge. Champai ji handled everything during Hemant ji’s absence well, and INDIA bloc won five parliamentary seats in the polls.”

Cops to probe role of proclaimed offenders in Haryana ASI’s murder

 Continued from P1

ASI Sanjeev Kumar was rushed to a private hospital where he was declared dead. He is learned to have sustained bullet injuries on the head, lower back and waist.

Acting on the statement of his brother, police registered a case of murder and under Arms Act. The family has ruled out the possibility of the murder being an outcome of enmity. However, senior officials have directed Karnal SP Mohit Handa to explore the possibility as Kumar might have been targeted by proclaimed offenders. “Proclaimed offenders department handles all categories of criminals, from hardcore gangsters to petty criminals and drug dealers to those accused of economic offences. Hence, we have asked officials to look into this ,” a senior official said.

NIMHANS ex-chief Gangadhar to head NMC

The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed Dr B N Gangadhar as the chairperson of the National Medical Commission (NMC). Gangadhar, the former director of NIMHANS, is already the acting chairman of NMC.

Dr Sanjay Behari, director of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, has been appointed as the president of the Medical Assessment and Rating Board , according to a govt statement.

TNN

Tractor mows down 2 women in Punjab:

Two women labourers were killed and eight injured after a tractor ran over them in Punjab, reports Bharat Khanna.

HC: Why only boys are apprehended but girls let off for love affairs among minors?

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Dehradun: Uttarakhand HC, while deliberating on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed against the “arrest of adolescent boys involved in romantic and amorous activities with minor girls”, has directed the central and state govts to explain “why only the boys (involved) are being apprehended while the girls are let off”. The PIL, submitted by advocate Manisha Bhandari, was presided over by Chief Justice Ritu Bahri and Justice Rakesh Thapliyal.

The petition asserted that in cases involving romantic relationships between minor boys and girls, the boy is invariably deemed culpable. “Even when the girl is older, the boy is taken into custody and regarded as a crimi- nal, ultimately finding himself imprisoned, whereas he should be provided with counselling instead of being apprehended”, the PIL mentioned. During the hearing, it came to light that 20 minors are currently languishing in custody on similar charges.

The court acknowledged the matter and remarked that the state could deliberate on whether recording the boy’s statement under section 161 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) would suffice, without necessitating his arrest. The court suggested: “At the most, he can be given advice not to indulge in such things, but should not be arrested.” Furthermore, the court proposed that the state could issue comprehensive guidelines for the police department to adhere to in such situations.

Times City

- Man crushed by tanker, another stabbed amid pandemonium

- 80 Spot Visits In A Day: Forensic Sleuths Up To Their Neck In Work

- Caught for petty theft? Sweep park as punishment

- Mohalla bus service set for launch soon, Dwarka to be hub

- Govt proposal to crack whip on lane violations

- New rules to put brakes on illegal driving schools

- How Kalkaji tragedy in Jan led to tighter norms in city

- 2 murdered kids & a suicide: No answers 73 days on

- PM Asks Cong To Come Clean On Its Allegations Against AAP

- Excise case: Court reserves order over Kejriwal’s plea

- HC to examine CM’s bail plea in CBI case tomorrow

- Renovation of CM house: Vigilance suspends two PWD engineers

- ‘DDA, forest officials skipped summons’

- Hope Floats: Dwarka Drain Nears Completion

- DIAL decides to shift some flights from T2 to T3

- A year on, one held for minor girl’s rape

- Three arrested for robberies in north, outer Delhi

- Even Rare Days When Air Meets Our Standards Not Good Enough

- NDMC okays plan to procure 200MW of solar power

- National standards not met on 80% of days in June in city

- Rain relief finally for Delhi, forecast of strong winds today

- PWD minister inspects flood control room

- Scanty Rain, But Still Roads Overflowing

- ‘School not letting children attend classes over hiked fee’

- ‘Minor gave different versions of incident’

- Ensure no project sees overruns of more than 1.2 times: PWD directive

- 57-year-old doc gets bail in ‘illegal’ abortion case

- After SC order, Noida clears revised layouts for Unitech projects

- ‘Upper age in bone test to be considered for rape survivor’

- BJP, Cong trade barbs over Rahul’s speech

- Teachers’ transfer: Atishi serves notices to officials

- Canopy fall: Cops seek info from authorities

- Mango fest at Janakpuri Dilli Haat

Man crushed by tanker, another stabbed amid pandemonium

TIMESNEWSNETWORK

New Delhi: An 18-year-old man was crushed to death, allegedly by atanker driver, while another was stabbed after a group of youths went on a rampage in south Delhi’s Sangam Vihar on Wednesday. The second victim is critical.

Police said an autorickshaw broke down and its four occupants were moving it to the roadside when a water tanker, navigating the flooded street after heavy rains, passed, splashing water on them.

An argument followed and the auto passengers hurled stones at the tanker, causing its driver to lose control and allegedly fatally running over one of them. He immediately fled the scene, prompting a frustrated search by the auto’s occupants. It ended in vain, and the group allegedly further vandalised the tanker.

In the meantime, an auto driver, witnessing the commotion, approached the group to enquire about the damage to the tanker. In response, he was allegedly stabbed by the youths.

Police received a call about the incident around 4.30pm from Ratiya Marg in Sangam Vihar. “The caller informed us about a group of three-four boys involved in stabbing,” said an officer.

During inquiry, police found an autorickshaw had broken down and its occupants — Arif Khan, Shakeel, Sahadab, all aged 18, and Durga — were attempting repairs when a water tanker passed by. “The area was waterlogged due to rain, and when the tanker passed, it splashed water on them,” the officer said, adding, “This angered the youths, who began throwing stones and vandalising the tanker.”

Its driver, Sapan Singh (35), drove on and allegedly crushed Sahadab under the vehicle. After stopping briefly, he fled. The group looked for him unsuccessfully and again vandalised the tanker, cops said.

Meanwhile, Bablu Ahmed, an auto driver from Sangam Vihar, who happened to be at the spot, approached the group and questioned their actions. However, the youths allegedly stabbed Bablu. He was rushed to a hospital and later referred to Safdarjung Hospital. Sahadab, who was rushed to Batra Hospital, was declared dead upon arrival.

TIMES Special

80 Spot Visits In A Day: Forensic Sleuths Up To Their Neck In Work

Crime Scene Investigation Now Must For Offences With Jail Term Of 7 Yrs Or More

Abhay@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: On July 1, when the new laws were rolled out, forensic sleuths had a busy day with over 80 crime sites to examine in less than 16 hours. Under the old laws, they typically visited three to four spots a day. Under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which has replaced the Criminal Procedure Code, it is mandatory for the forensic examination of crime scenes where the crime is punishable by seven years or more of imprisonment.

To address this increased workload, the Forensic Science Laboratory in Rohini plans to boost its human resources. “In all of 2023, we visited three or four crime spots per day for a total of 1,134 in the year. But on the very first day of the new laws’ enforcement, we covered 80 locations,” a forensic official said.

Another official explained the paradigm shift. "Our presence at crime scenes with potential sentences exceeding seven years is no longer discretionary, but mandatory," he sa- id. Earlier, the decision to use videography was left to the investigating officer's discretion. Now, under the new law, this is compulsory to ensure a comprehensive picture for the courts. Coverage of the spot from multiple angles may take more time but will significantly enhance investigation.

Another FSL expert pointed out that not only would cri- me site visits increase, but samples and exhibits to be analysed would also double or triple from earlier. This will significantly increase the workload. "We have written to the govt department about the newly required manpower and equipment," the official said.

Sources reported that there currently are 63 experts deployed in Delhi’s 15 police districts. FSL plans to boost the number to 120 experts, with eight in each district. This will enable forensic assistance at two locations simultaneously in a district. In addition to the district deployments, three teams will be stationed at Rohini to assist other teams in important, sensitive or heinous cases.

FSL began preparations early. "As soon as we learned that site visits for crimes inviting seven or more years of punishment would become mandatory, we began sending more teams to crime scenes," another official revealed. "This wasn't just training; it was familiarisation. By the first half of this year, our experts had visited over 4,000 locations. This equipped them with the necessary skills and prepared them for the realities of the new law."

Deepa Verma, director, FSL, said, “Our personnel received training from experts at the National Forensic Sciences University Delhi Campus in addition to internal training sessions. Now that the laws are in effect, we'll continue with refresher courses to ensure the experts remain up-to-date, given the potential for confusion in real-world situations.”

Another official disclosed that the training focused on equipping investigators with advanced techniques for collecting evidence in digital form. This covered a wide range of methods for acquiring digital evidence from various devices and platforms. The sleuths received training on how to meticulously document and collect digital exhibits to ensure their admissibility in court.

Caught for petty theft? Sweep park as punishment

Shafaque.Alam@timesgroup.com

Noida: With Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) coming into force in place of IPC from July 1, police and the criminal justice system must set up a mechanism for monitoring of community service that courts can now award to those accused of crimes like petty thefts or creating nuisance in a public place in a state of intoxication.

The new laws introduce community service as an alternative form of punishment for six crimes, which include lodging a fake complaint of defamation, attempting to commit suicide, failing to ap- pear in court on summons, and public servants unlawfully engaging in trade.

Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which has replaced Criminal Procedure Code or CrPC, elaborates on punishment in such cases. It states that a person convicted of theft will face rigorous imprisonment of not less than a year, which may extend to five years, and be fined. But in petty thefts, “where the value of the property is less than Rs 5,000”, BNSS says that “upon the return of the value of the property or restoration of the stolen property, the person will be punished with community service”.

Similarly, creating nuisance in a public place can at- tract imprisonment of 24 hours, or a fine of Rs 1,000, or given community service. A fake defamation case, which has provisions for a jail term of two years, or a fine, or both, community service is also an option. And for a govt official illegally engaged in trade, it can be awarded instead of simple imprisonment of a year and/or a fine. Non-appearance in court is punishable by three years and/or a fine while attempting is punishable by one year and/or a fine, which an accused may be able to avoid through community service.

But while cases under the new law have started getting registered, police and administrations don’t have procedural clarity on how community service will be monitored. Community service, according to BNSS, is any work a court may order a convict to perform as a form of punishment that benefits the community, for which a convict will not be entitled to any pay.

Naveed Mehmood Ahmad, team lead (crime and punishment) at Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, said bringing in community service as a form of punishment is a step in the right direction. “This gives space for some reformative and rehabilitative ideas within the system,” he said.

Aditya Bhati, a lawyer in at the district court, said a court can direct a convict to clean a park, plant saplings, volunteer at an orphanage, assist at an animal shelter, teach underprivileged children, volunteer in traffic management, etc as part of community service.

Mohalla bus service set for launch soon, Dwarka to be hub

Abhinav.Rajput@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Delhi govt is gearing up to launch the mohalla bus service in a month with the arrival of 50 compact ninemetre buses and several depots in Dwarka being prepared to serve as operational hubs.

On Tuesday, transport minister Kailash Gahlot visited the bus depots in Dwarka to evaluate their readiness to house the vehicles.

The newly-constructed main Dwarka depot, spanning 2,800 sqm, is set to accommodate 22 mohalla buses. With the energisation process completed, the depot will be handed over to the concessionaire for the operation of the buses in the near future, said Gahlot.

The depot in Dwarka Sector 2, covering about 23,067 sqm, will have the capacity to house 180 mohalla buses. This depot is expected to be completed by September this year.

The depot in Dwarka Sector 9, encompassing 1,803 sqm, will be utilised solely for parking purposes. It has the capacity to accommodate 18 mohalla buses.

According to a senior official, “The main depot at Dwarka and the one in Sector 9 are being built for the first time whereas the depot at Dwarka Sector 2 is being redeveloped.”

The mohalla bus scheme aims to introduce nine-metre- long electric buses to provide neighbourhood or feeder bus services. Delhi govt plans to deploy 2,180 such buses in phases by 2025.

The buses are tailored to operate in areas with narrow roads or where overcrowding hinders the operation of regular 12-metre buses. The initiative is expected to improve connectivity and enhance transportation access for residents in these areas.

A senior official said about 50 buses have been stationed in Kushak Nala. He said preparation of routes is in final stages and preference will be given to areas along unauthorised colonies and villages as they have narrow roads, with the result that bigger buses are not able to enter or get trapped in traffic.

Each mohalla bus will have panic buttons and internal announcements of destinations, another official said. Routes will be displayed in the buses and tickets will be given through hand-held vending machines.

According to sources, the focus of the bus service will be on densely populated areas, like east and northeast Delhi, and the rural parts of the city. Many mohalla buses will also ply in Outer Delhi, which doesn’t have Metro penetration.

Delhi has a fleet of 7,500 buses, of which 1,650 are e-buses and the remaining DTC and cluster CNG buses.

Govt proposal to crack whip on lane violations

New Delhi: Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot has proposed to empower assistant traffic inspectors in the DTC to issue challans for buses violating lane discipline under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The proposal has been forwarded to lieutenant governor for approval, said an official statement. “Empowering assistant traffic inspectors of Delhi Transport Corporation to issue challans for lane violations is crucial in enhancing road safety and ensuring adherence to traffic regulations,” Gahlot said. “This measure aims to improve traffic flow, reduce accidents, and enhance the efficiency of our public transport system,” he added. Under the proposal, ATIs will be authorised to issue challans under sections 177, 184, and 192A of the MVA.

TNN

New rules to put brakes on illegal driving schools

Abhinav.Rajput@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Delhi govt has released a set of guidelines to regulate the operation of motor driving training schools in the city, under which all such facilities must maintain an electronic register, Aadhaar-based registration of trainees and have adequate provision for conducting lectures and demonstrations. The schools will be listed on the transport department’s website for easy access.

All new and existing training schools need to adhere to the guidelines to obtain or renew their licences. Aadhaar-based registration is one of the key requirements but, in the absence of a valid Aadhaar number, can be done using either the student’s Unique Identification Number (UID) or Enrolment Identification Number (EID).

The driving school must maintain an e-register that records the trainees’ enrolment in the establishment. Also, the information must be updated on the portal in real time, including details about the applicants and learners.

There are about 100 driving schools in the city. In a month, on average, about 40,000 people take tests for driver’s licence in Delhi, out of which 50% do not pass.

“The aim is to ensure only legitimate and authorised training schools are allowed to function within the capital,” a senior Delhi govt official said, adding the fresh guidelines would also ensure that people take training in a skilled environment as road safety is directly linked to driving standards.

All applications for grant or renewal of licence can be made to the licensing authority as per Rule 24-31 of Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, that has jurisdiction in the area where the school or establishment is located. The premises should be either owned by the applicant or taken on lease, and must have provision for conducting lectures and demonstrations, besides adequate parking area for the vehicles meant to be used for imparting instructions in driving.

The applicant should own and maintain a minimum of one motor vehicle of each type in which instruction is imparted in the school or establishment. The schools must have a blackboard, a road plan board with necessary model signals and charts, a traffic signs chart, a chart on automatic signals and signals given by traffic controllers where there are no automatic ones. As per rules, the schools should also maintain a record separately for each trainee showing the number of driving hours spent daily.

The govt official said under the guidelines, the financial resources of the school must be sufficient to provide for maintenance, so the licensing authority will seek a solvency certificate of at least Rs 3 lakh issued by the SDM.

How Kalkaji tragedy in Jan led to tighter norms in city

TIMESNEWSNETWORK

New Delhi: The stampede at a religious event in UP’s Hathras, in which more than 100 people died, has reignited concerns about safety and crowd management at large gatherings in the city.

On Jan 28 this year, a stage collapsed during an event at Kalkaji Temple, claiming the life of a 45-year-old woman and injuring 17 others. Investigation by Delhi Police revealed that a gathering of 1,500-1,600 people had assembled at the temple around midnight, but the elevated platform collapsed under the weight of those standing or sitting on it.

Police filed a chargesheet against six people in the case, including the organisers. Cops said no permission had been obtained for the event and the organisers had failed to implement proper safety measures. They were booked under various IPC sections, including causing death by negligence.

Following the incident, Delhi High Court in Feb directed that no “jagran” or similar events will be held at Kalkaji Mandir without its permission. According to cops, before giving nod to gatherings, they take proper measures to ensure that such an incident is not repeated.

Last year, police handled 8,333 gatherings, including meetings, protests, demonstrations and processions. In 2022, the figure stood at 5,847.

According to a senior police officer, meticulous planning is paramount when dealing with large gatherings. “The first crucial step is a thorough assessment of the venue’s capacity. We measure the available space to determine the maximum number of people it can safely accommodate,” he told TOI.

The information is then relayed to the event organisers. “We work closely with them to ensure that they understand the limitations and invite only a number of guests that fall within the designated safe capacity,” he added. During festivals too, the same protocol is followed.

“We strongly encourage organisers to use social media platforms to livestream events. This allows a wider audience to participate virtually, reducing the number of physical attendees at the venue,” the officer said.

Another officer said that evacuation routes are also checked at the venue. “We also check the structural stability to determine whether it is safe for installation or if there is a risk of it collapsing,” he added.

Before any event, cops also gather intelligence inputs to assess whether the number of attendees matches or if more people are likely to come, he said, adding, “This information is shared with the concerned DCP and traffic authorities to enable them to plan.”

The officer said that licences for holding Ramlila, Dussehra, Ravan Dahan, Durga Puja and Diwali Mela should be submitted at least 30 days in advance. “The application is processed after receipt of reports from local police, traffic police, Delhi Fire Service, civic bodies, electrical safety inspector and the labour department,” he added.

2 murdered kids & a suicide: No answers 73 days on

Devanshi.Mehta@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The only words that Sannu Chaurasia has uttered since she came out of a coma have been, “Bachche kahan hain?” She is still in a semi-vegetative state and she gets some relief when she is told that her two children have gone to visit a cousin for the summer vacation. The 39-year-old woman also asks about her husband, Shyamji, and is told that he is not at home.

If Sannu knew what her husband had done on the night of April 20, she wouldn’t perhaps be so keen to learn about his whereabouts. That night the 42-year- old Shyamji allegedly bludgeoned his children, Kartik and Gunnu, and then attacked his wife in her sleep. The kids died and she slipped into a coma. After the bloodbath, police say, Shyamji killed himself by jumping in front of a train.

All that Sannu remembers of that night is giving the family dinner and then going to sleep. She doesn’t recall any argument or quarrel with Shyamji. Her relatives claim she had numerous cuts on her face and back and a major wound on her head from a hit by a metal rod, found at the spot by police. The same rod, the investigators claim, was used to murder Kartik and Gunnu. Sannu hasn’t recovered fully and has to be pipe-fed. TOI visited the house where the murders took place in east Delhi’s Pandav Nagar on Wednesday and found it lock- ed. The owner said nobody was keen to rent the house because of its history.

Even 73 days later, the cops are unclear about the motive for the crime. They haven’t been able to record Sannu’s statement, who is the only material witness they have, but are probing the possibilities, including infidelity.

Sannu’s family in north Delhi also remained clueless about the possible reason for the mayhem. “There wasn’t anything wrong with the couple. We were a close-knit, happy family,” her sister said. “There were no financial troubles, no family tensions and no hostility.”

Sannu’s niece added, “Just 10 days before the inci- dent, I visited them and everything was absolutely normal. We were in fact planning a trip together. There were no fights or arguments on the days I spent at their house.”

Some relatives, however, disclosed that Shyamji had begun to drink excessively in the past year. “He was also undergoing treatment and seeking help from a counsellor. Sannu ensured he took his medicines regularly,” said a family member.

The cops said they would look deeper into this ailment angle. They are waiting to record Sannu’s statement, but the charges against Shyamji would abate since he is no longer living, a senior officer explained.

PM Asks Cong To Come Clean On Its Allegations Against AAP

Reminds Party Of Its Accusations In Excise Policy Case Before Poll Alliance

Modi slammed INDIA bloc’s ‘opportunistic alliance’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Continuing his attack on the “opportunistic alliance” among INDIA bloc parties, particularly between AAP and Congress in the Lok Sabha election, PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday dared Congress to come clean on the allegations it had made against AAP on the alleged liquor scam. He asked the party to tell people whether the allegations were true or false.

Speaking in Rajya Sabha, Modi said Congress was leading the campaign to “protect the corrupt”. He said first they used to ask why the govt didn’t take action against the corrupt and now when the corrupt were sent to jail, questions were being raised about the investigating agencies.

“AAP commits liquor scam, AAP commits corruption, AAP commits scam in building classrooms for children, AAP even commits water scam... Congress complains against AAP, Congress drags AAP to court and if action is taken then they abuse Modi,” the PM said. Opposition MPs had staged a walkout from the House by then.

Reiterating that the govt won’t spare the corrupt, Modi said, “Let me say without any hesitation that I have given full freedom to investigating agencies against corruption and the corrupt. The govt will not interfere. They must work with honesty and work for the honest. No corruption will get away, that’s Modi’s guarantee.”

Charging Congress and AAP with double standards, Modi referred to Delhi Congress leaders holding press conferences against the AAP govt and demanding CBI investigation into the alleged liquor scam.

“Congress had held a press conference against AAP and produced proof of corruption. Now can they say whether these proof were true or false? They will expose each other. They have no courage to answer such questions,” the prime minister said.

Referring to Rahul Gandhi’s demand for investigation against the Kerala CM, Modi said that in Delhi, Congress questioned the role of ED and CBI against opposition leaders but at the same time, they demand the arrest of the Kerala CM.

The PM said political parties which were formed and grew post-Emergency were giving clean chits to Congress. He cited Mulayam Singh Yadav’s statement in 2013 accusing the UPA govt of using ED and CBI against them. He also read out a statement of CPM leader Prakash Karat accusing Congress of using CBI to strike political bargains with many parties.

Modi said even the Supreme Court had called CBI a “caged parrot” during UPA govt and these were examples of who misused investigating agencies.

Excise case: Court reserves order over Kejriwal’s plea

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Wednesday reserved its order on a plea moved by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal seeking his wife Sunita Kejriwal’s presence via videoconferencing during his medical checkup. Kejriwal told the court of special judge Kaveri Baweja that his plea was based on humanitarian grounds. The court will pronounce the order on July 6.

Advocate Vivek Jain, counsel for Kejriwal, stated that no prejudice would be caused to ED if his wife remained present through videoconferencing during the consultation by the doctors/medical board.

Kejriwal requested the court to direct the jail authorities to allow his wife to be his attendant during the medical checkups/follow ups/ consultation with the medical board/doctors. He said that his wife’s presence was required to understand instructions of the doctors about his diet and medication.

Further, Kejriwal said, given his wife’s longstanding role and detailed knowledge of his health his- tory, granting her access to his medical records was not only justifiable but essential as well. “Transparency in his medical care is not only a legal requirement but also a critical component of ethical medical practice,” the plea read.

Meanwhile, the court extended the judicial custody of Delhi CM in a “money laundering case” related to alleged irregularities in formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. The court extended the custody for nine days after Kejriwal appeared before the court through videoconferencing.

Kejriwal is already in judicial custody in the CBI case related to the policy till July 12. The court directed his production on July 12 for further proceedings in the matter.

The same court extended the judicial custody of former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Bharat Rashtra Samiti MP K Kavitha in an alleged money laundering case related to the excise policy. The court extended their custody after they were produced before the court through videoconferencing.

HC to examine CM’s bail plea in CBI case tomorrow

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Wednesday said that it would examine chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea seeking regular bail in a case registered by Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the alleged excise policy scam on July 5. The court fixed the date after his counsel mentioned the matter for urgent listing before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela.

Kejriwal’s counsel alleged that the applicant was taken into illegal custody without following the due procedure of law and he had therefore filed a bail plea. While the counsel insisted on fixing the plea for hearing on Thursday, the Acting Chief Justice said the bench concerned might need to go through the document and posted it for Friday.

The Aam Aadmi Party’s national convener was arrested by CBI on June 26 from Tihar Jail, where he is still lodged in judicial custody in a connected “money laundering” case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Meanwhile, sources said Kejriwal had also challenged a trial court’s July 1 order rejecting his application for directions to the prison authorities for allowing two additional meetings every week with his lawyers through videoconferencing. He is currently allowed two meetings with his lawyers in a week.

He has already challenged his arrest in the CBI case and the plea is pending before the high court. The court had issued notice and asked CBI to file its reply while listing it for arguments on July 17.

Kejriwal, who was arrested by ED on March 21, was granted bail by the trial court in the alleged money laundering case on June 20. However, the trial court’s order was stayed by the high court.

The excise policy was scrapped in 2022 after lieutenant governor VK Saxena ordered a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities and corruption involving its formulation and execution. Both CBI and ED had alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours extended to the licence holders.

Renovation of CM house: Vigilance suspends two PWD engineers

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Directorate of Vigilance has suspended two engineers of Delhi govt’s Public Works Department (PWD) for alleged irregularities in the construction and renovation of CM Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence at 6 Flag Staff Road in north Delhi’s Civil Lines.

It has also written to Central Public Works Department (CPWD) seeking suspension and disciplinary proceedings against five more engineers, who are now either posted outside Delhi or have since retired. Since Delhi PWD does not have its own cadre, such officials are posted and transferred by CPWD.

In a letter to the director general of CPWD, the directorate stated lieutenant governor VK Saxena had given his approval for the suspension and initiation of disciplinary proceedings for major penalty against the then chief engineer, superintending engineer and chief engineer, who were not posted in Delhi any more. LG has also approved disciplinary proceedings against the former principal chief engineer and the ex-executive engineer, both of whom have retired, the directorate said, also seeking an action-taken report in a time-bound manner in the case.

The former executive and assistant engineers, working with Delhi PWD, have been suspended by the directorate.

According to officials, the seven engineers, involved in planning and execution of the project, were served showcause notices on June 19 last year after the directorate observed they had allegedly “committed various lapses and irregularities” while constructing a new building “in guise of addition and alteration” of CM’s residence. No reaction was available from Delhi govt.

‘DDA, forest officials skipped summons’

New Delhi: Delhi urban minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Wednesday said that none of the DDA and forest department officials who were called to appear before a fact-finding committee in a case related to “illegal” felling of 1,100 trees in Southern Ridge complied with the notices. The fact-finding committee, comprising ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj, Atishi and Imran Hussain, had served notices on 10 DDA and forest department officials on Tuesday, asking them to appear before the panel on Wednesday at Delhi Secretariat. Bharadwaj said the committee would now file an affidavit before the Supreme Court. “We will urge the SC to get the matter investigated by forming a special investigating team,” he added. TNN

Hope Floats: Dwarka Drain Nears Completion

May Help Resolve Waterlogging Issues At IGI

Vibha.Sharma@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Delhi Development Authority announced that a significant portion of the 2.4km drain connecting Terminal 1 of Indira Gandhi International Airport with Sector 8 in Dwarka and the surrounding areas has been completed. With this section discharging rainwater into Trunk Drain No. 2, DDA is optimistic that there will be no waterlogging at the airport during the rains this year.

According to a DDA official, the drain flowed at its maximum capacity during the recording-breaking rainfall last Friday and the situation normalised within two hours. “There was no waterlogging at Bagdola village, CRPF campus and areas close to the drain,” the official claimed. “While work on Phase I is finished, the remaining work is expected to be completed by Sept-end.”

The newly constructed airport drain starts from a point designated A near the railway tracks running close to IGIA. It initially carries the discharge up to point B, which is the junction point, near Kamlesh Dwar of the CRPF campus. "From point B, the drain splits its discharge into two stretches, C and D, which are outfall points connected with Trunk Drain No. 2 in Dwarka and located, respectively, near the marble market and Bagdola village. The trunk drain empties into the Najafgarh drain," the official explained.

"The size of the major sections in Phase I of the newly constructed drain is 20 metres wide and 2m deep compared with the old drain which was 2mx1m. In Phase II, the size of the drain will be 12mx2m," the official revealed.

The previous two drains at IGIA were unable to meet the requirements. The hugely enhanced size of the new drain is considered to be sufficient to prevent water accumulation on the airport's northern side.

The airport drain revival project was initially conceived in 2019 after IGIA suffered serious waterlogging during rains. The goal was to manage the discharge from the airport. However, there were several impediments that caused the project to progress only in intermittent efforts.

To upgrade the drainage system in two phases, IGIA approached DDA and a study was conducted on the problem on the airport’s northern side. PWD had already built a drain on the South side. An official said, "After completion of the survey and other ground exercises, we requested permission from the forest department for tree translocation and afforestation in Nov 2020."

Construction had begun in Aug 2020, but there were breaks caused by the delayed permission from the forest department to fell trees along the project site. On the lieutenant governor’s direction, DDA approached Delhi High Court seeking a directive to Delhi govt’s department of environment for granting permission to fell the trees. The permissions were finally granted on Aug 1, 2022.

Once the permission was received, the construction finally speeded up. The site was last inspected by lieutenant governor VK Saxena in Feb, according to a DDA official. In addition, DDA has created five waterbodies in Dwarka to store excess rainwater.

DIAL decides to shift some flights from T2 to T3

Saurabh.Sinha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: With Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 witnessing severe congestion and long queues in the wake of the temporary closure of Terminal 1 following the canopy collapse incident last week, Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) is taking several measures to ease the situation for passengers and airlines. Ninety-three domestic arrivals and departures of IndiGo and SpiceJet were shifted from T1 to the other two terminals.

“DIAL will be shifting six flights from T2, which is choked, to T3 which still has some capacity to handle the load. The 1986-era T2 can handle a maximum of 10 departures per hour. Post the shifting of flights, some hours had more than 10. So the schedule is being tweaked to ensure peak movement per hour is at 10. These changes will be in effect latest by July 8 in consultation with airlines,” the airport operator is learnt to have told Union aviation secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam on Wednesday who called for a thorough review of the situation. The senior IAS officer is learnt to have asked for minimising inconvenience to passengers.

“Between T1, T2 (both only domestic) and T3 (which is international-cum-domestic), IGIA handled 495 daily scheduled departures. We aim to avoid any reduction in flight numbers with the proposed new temporary arrangement,” said people in the know.

The airport operator expects to get the nod to remove the debris on Thursday after a report from IIT Delhi which is probing the collapse that led to the death of a cab driver. “Debris removal, once it starts, is likely to take anywhere from 3 to 4 weeks. T1 may remain closed for a month or longer,” said sources.

Both airlines and passengers are complaining of long queues at almost all points — terminal entry, check-in, security, immigration and baggage collection—at T2 and T3. CISF personnel are overworked as they are now screening passengers of more flights. “CISF personnel are frisking passengers of 100 extra flights. This is not an ideal situation from the security point of view as there is a possibility of oversight due to human nature. You can’t increase the entry gates and security checkpoints at such a short notice,” said sources.

Given the situation, the ministry had a detailed review on Wednesday evening. “(I) had a meeting with all stakeholders (like) DGCA, AAI, BCAS, CISF, DIAL and airlines. All will work and coordinate to maintain the same number of flights at the Delhi airport smoothly,” the aviation secretary said.

Before last Friday’s accident, IGIA’s capacity was 7.4 crore passengers annually (CPA), including 1.7 CPA (all domestic) of T1; 1.5 CPA (all domestic) of T2 and 4.2 CPA (domestic and international) of T3. T1’s capacity was to increase to 4.5 CPA with the opening of the expanded portion. Nearly 40 lakh passenger traffic may be hit due to the T1 mishap, say sources.

It remains to be seen if DIAL drops its opposition to Hindon Airport civil enclave handling non-regional connectivity scheme flights. Last month, Air India Express had announced that it would operate 28 weekly flights between Hindon and Bengaluru, Goa and Kolkata from Aug 1. But the airline had stopped bookings for these flights hours after making this announcement. The reason: DIAL had this Jan moved Delhi High Court against the Centre’s Oct 2023 decision allowing Airports Authority of India to commence scheduled commercial flight operations at Hindon.

A year on, one held for minor girl’s rape

Devanshi.Mehta@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: A year after a 16-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped and gang-raped in Bhalswa Dairy, police have arrested the mastermind in the case.

The girl was returning home on June 23 when the alleged assault took place at a vacant place. While three of the accused were arrested, the alleged mastermind, 26-yearold Kamal Singh, a resident of Bhalswa Dairy, remained at large. Singh was arrested recently from Bhalswa Dairy when he came to meet an associate.

While on the run, Singh also attempted to murder a family in Ghevra. “All the family members were sleeping in different rooms when he came on a bike and fired two rounds at the main gate where a woman was sleeping. She was injured,” police said. Singh was earlier involved in two murder cases.

On June 15, a team led by inspector Sandeep Swami received a tip-off that Singh was coming to the main road near the gurdwara at Bhalswa Dairy to meet his acquaintance. “A trap was laid and he was arrested,” an officer said.

Three arrested for robberies in north, outer Delhi

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Three men in their thirties have been arrested for their alleged involvement in robberies in north and outer Delhi.

Police received a PCR call regarding a robbery at gunpoint on June 30. The complainant, Arun, who works at a property dealer office in Burari, told cops that two young men on a motorbike entered the office at 2.50 pm, a senior police officer said.

Threatening him with a pistol, they robbed Rs 50,000, a chain, a gold ring, and a silver kada, said Manoj Meena, DCP (north). Both men were wearing helmets and had their faces covered, the DCP said, adding that two teams were formed to solve the case.

"While analysing the CCTV footage, it was found that the duo had committed robbery with the same modus operandi in Burari on May 9. The suspects also carried out robberies at two shops in Swaroop Nagar on May 25 and June 1," the DCP said.

From the CCTV footage, the suspects were found entering Sonipat through local roads and a trail revealed their last location in Kundli industrial area, the officer said, adding that the motorcycle used by the duo in the crimes was identified, and their possible locations were pinpointed.

Suspects Ravinder (37), Mandeep Maan (30), and their associate Arjun (36), were arrested from Sonipat on Tuesday, DCP Meena added.

Ravinder informed the cops that he had been previously arrested in robbery cases in Kaithal and Sonipat.

Even Rare Days When Air Meets Our Standards Not Good Enough

Air Pollution Below 60 ug/m3 Too Is Causing Rising Number Of Deaths: Study

Priyangi.Agarwal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: A new study published in Lancet Planetary Health has found that even air pollution below the prevailing Indian air quality standard of 60 micrograms per cubic metre is causing an increased number of deaths in India.

The study noted that in 10 cities — Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Shimla and Varanasi — around 33,000 deaths per year can be attributed to air pollution that are above the WHO guidelines of 15 micrograms per cubic metre. Of these, Delhi had the highest toll of around 12,000 deaths annually during the study period. The study, therefore, recommends that the Indian air quality standards should be made more stringent and efforts to check air pollution redoubled.

For the study, the researchers used data on PM2.5 exposure in the 10 cities and daily mortality count between 2008 and 2019. The study was conducted by researchers from academic institutions in India (Sustainable Futures Collaborative, Ashoka University, Centre for Chronic Disease Control), Sweden (Karolinska Institutet) and USA (Harvard University, Boston University).

“During the study period, 7.2% of all deaths (33,000 each year) in the 10 cities could be linked to short-term PM2.5 ex- posure higher than the WHO guideline value of 15 micrograms per cubic metre,” the study says. Delhi had the highest proportion at 11.5% of the deaths, while Shimla had the lowest at 3.7%, or 59 deaths annually between 2008 and 2019.

The study observed that for every 10 micrograms per cubic metre increase in the average PM2.5 exposure over a two-day period, the daily mortality across the 10 cities increased 1.4%. However, this estimate nearly doubled to 3.6% when researchers used a causal modelling approach that isolated the impact of local sources of air pollution. This causal analysis highlighted the need for greater attention on the numerous dispersed sources of local air pollution across cities, including transport and waste burning.

The research said that current policy instruments such as Graded Response Ac- tion Plans largely focused on pollution extremes and had to be recalibrated to focus on year-round action.

“This study demonstrates for the first time how the risk of mortality is significant even at lower levels of air pollution,” pointed out Poornima Prabhakaran, director, Centre for Health Analytics Research and Trends, Trivedi School of Biosciences, Ashoka University, and India lead of CHAIR-In- dia consortium. “The insights signal an urgent need to revisit our air quality management strategies that currently focus only on ‘non-attainment cities’, rethink current air quality standards and shift from addressing regional to local sources to effectively protect human health.”

In a similar tone, professor Joel Schwartz of Harvard University, co-author of the study, reiterated, “Lowering and enforcing Indian air quality standards will save tens of thousands of lives per year. Methods to control pollution urgently need to be applied in India.”

Bhargav Krishna, fellow at the Sustainable Futures Collaborative and lead author of the study, said, “The results of this multi-city study show us that reducing air pollution is a nationwide challenge. Our analyses highlight air pollution’s substantial effect on mortality even in cities previously considered less polluted such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Chennai. The significant effects observed below the current Indian standards have implications for what we consider acceptable air quality.”

Fellow lead author Jeroen de Bont, postdoctoral researcher at Karolinska Institutet, said that it was crucial to address dispersed local sources of pollution alongside existing anti-pollution strategies.

NDMC okays plan to procure 200MW of solar power

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New Delhi: New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has approved a proposal to procure 200MW solar power to switch to renewable energy sources of supply in its area. The decision, made during a meeting on Wednesday, will be executed through the Solar Energy Corporation of India.

This aligns with NDMC's goal of shifting to 100% renewable energy sources by the end of 2025. The supply tariff, set at Rs 2.68 per kilowatt-hour (KwH), complies with the ministry of power's guidelines. The contract is for 25 years.

NDMC member Kuljeet Singh Chahal said the council has arranged for 525 MW per day from various sources, including solar, hydro and other plants. The maximum power demand in NDMC during summer is 450 MW per day, with peak consumption of 425 MW in June.

“We are procuring 100 MW from Delhi govt's Bawana and Himadir plants of Pragati Power Corporation Limited, 11 MW from the solar system and plants installed at 1,100 rooftops of govt buildings like 23 municipal schools, NDMC as well as CPWD buildings, 55 MW is procured through the PSU (Satluj Jal Vitran Nigam) and 55 MW is procured from hydro plants including gas and thermal units of the ministry of power. Further, we are also procuring 200 MW from another central PSU,” Chahal said.

NDMC has between 70,000 and 80,000 consumers.

The council meeting approved another significant proposal to engage avendor who will provide freshly cooked mid-day meals to approximately 7,000-8,000 students across six NDMC's Atal Adarsh or Navyug schools, informed vice-chairman Satish Upadhyay. “The council approved the selection of asuccessful bidder (Akshaya Patra Foundation) and awarded work for setting up of a semi-automated kitchen at their own cost. The vendor will be engaged at Adarsh Bengali Balika Vidyalaya at Gole Market. The collaboration with the vendor will initially be for three years with the possibility of extending the contract by two years."

On Wednesday, Naresh Kumar took oath as the new chairperson, and Bansuri Swaraj, the New Delhi MP was sworn in as an ex officio member. Naresh Kumar will hold the office of NDMC chairperson as an additional charge alongside his role as chief secretary of Delhi.

The council now includes the chairperson (who is also the chief secretary of Delhi), New Delhi MP, vicechairperson and former Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay, Kuljeet Chahal, Vishakha Sailani, and Girish Sachdeva. Two AAP members, CM Arvind Kejriwal and Virender Singh Kadian (Delhi Cantt MLA), are also on the council, while the remaining members are bureaucrats.

National standards not met on 80% of days in June in city

3.46 pm

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Delhi was among the cities that exceeded the national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for more than 80% of the days in June 2024, according to a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), released on Wednesday.

In all, 228 out of 251 cities with more than 80% of the days recorded PM2.5 concentrations below India’s daily standard of 60 micrograms per cubic metre. CREA said Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution levels exceeded the NAAQS and were about four times the WHO daily guideline levels at 63 µg/m3. Among the cities in the Indo-Gangetic Plain with continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) data for more than 80% of the days, Faridabad, Ludhiana, Asansol, Amritsar, and Delhi exceeded the NAAQS.

Sunil Dahiya, analyst, CREA, said: “While the discussion and actions on air pollution and its sources seem to have diminished in Delhi, the PM2.5 levels still remain higher than the NAAQS, prescribed by CPCB. Though the rain will wash down the emissions for next couple of months, resulting in lower PM2.5 readings, the emissions will still be higher and in the absence of any systematic action to reduce emissions at source, we will again see hazardous pollution levels building up as soon as the monsoon withdraws.”

He added: “We need urgent action to reduce emission loads from polluting sectors such as transportation, power, industry, waste and construction. We need to ensure that the dialogue with farmers in Punjab and Haryana is held right now and continuously through the paddy harvest, so that the biomass burning can be reduced towards Oct-end to mid-Nov.”

According to CREA, Rohtak in Haryana ranked as the most polluted city in India in June 2024, recording a monthly average PM2.5 concentration of 116 µg/m3, surpassing the daily NAAQS 100% of the days in the month.

Rain relief finally for Delhi, forecast of strong winds today

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The city finally got rain, uneven in parts, on Wednesday after a couple of days of high humidity and cloudy skies.

The weather department said Safdarjung recorded 9mm rainfall, classified as light. Some areas got an intense, short spell of rain while others remained dry. Between 8.30am and 5.30pm, Ayanagar recorded moderate rainfall at 39.8mm while Palam recorded 14.1mm, Lodhi Road got 7mm rainfall and the Ridge 4.2mm.

Since the arrival of the monsoon on June 28, the city has recorded 246mm rainfall. Weather analysts expect patchy rain over the next few days.

According to IMD, the city may see light rain, thunderstorms and lighting on Thursday, though no warning has been issued on this. The IMD has warned of minor traffic disruptions, an chance of accidents, disruption of electricity and partial damage to vulnerable structures due to strong winds.

“Check for traffic congestion on your route before leaving for your destination. Follow any traffic advisories.... Avoid going to areas that face waterlogging often. Stay away from power lines or electrical wires. Stay indoors, close windows and doors and avoid travel if possible. Take safe shelters, do not shelter under trees. Do not lie on concrete floors and do not lean against concrete walls. Unplug electrical/electronic appliances. Keep away from objects that conduct electricity,” IMD said.

According to IMD, the maximum and minimum temperatures on Thursday are expected to be 34 and 26 degrees Celsius, respectively. A yellow alert has been issued for cloudy skies and light to moderate rain on Friday.“ For the next two days there are chances of patchy rain,” Mahesh Palawat, vice-chairman of meteorology and climate change at Skymet, said.

The maximum temperature dipped on Wednesday to 34.1 degrees. The minimum was 29 degrees. Humidity was between 100% and 73%.

PWD minister inspects flood control room

New Delhi: Public Works Department minister Atishi on Wednesday visited the centralised monsoon control room at PWD headquarters, set up annually to monitor waterlogging complaints and coordinate with other agencies for their resolution.

The minister inspected the day’s waterlogging complaints using the control room data and verified the necessary steps taken by the department to resolve them. She also tracked the deployment of maintenance vehicles across the city via GPS, ensuring a proactive response to the monsoon-related challenges.

During the visit, Atishi asked officials to submit a report to her of the places across Delhi which faced waterlogging problems during the day and the steps taken to resolve the complaints. Officials were also instructed to ensure that any complaint of waterlogging is resolved as soon as possible.

“This control room of the PWD is playing an important role in solving the problem of waterlogging in Delhi during monsoon. Through this modern control room, the department is getting help in identifying the places with waterlogging and taking immediate action there” said Atishi.

Officials briefed her that the areas with severe water- logging are monitored 24x7 through the CCTV cameras at the control room. Also, PWD has released WhatsApp and toll-free numbers through which people can register their complaints. After receiving the complaints, PWD will take all the necessary steps to clear waterlogging .

TNN

Scanty Rain, But Still Roads Overflowing

Traffic Disruptions In Parts Of Delhi, Gurgaon

A vehicle breaks down on a waterlogged street of Gurgaon

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: There was no downpour on Wednesday but many areas still reported waterlogging, fallen trees and traffic congestion. The Public Works Department received around 12 calls from places such as Mehrauli, Aurobindo Marg, Jaunapur, Sangam Vihar and Mehrauli-Gurgaon road about water accumulation.

Officials insisted, however, that action was taken on the ground and none of the underpasses were reported to have submerged.

"Some of the calls we received were from areas under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, so we forwarded those complaints to the civic body," said a PWD official. MCD itself received complaints of waterlogging from Munirka and of a tree falling in Geeta Colony and Rampura Park in Tri Nagar.

Meanwhile, traffic disruptions were reported on MB Road in both directions between Khanpur and Hamdard T-Point due to waterlogging and the ongoing Delhi Metro construction. Commuters shared their frustration on social media after being stranded for an hour on Rohtak Road, travelling from Peeragarhi towards Tikri border because of overflowing sewers and water accumulation in Mundka.

In Saket, severe waterlogging caused significant stoppages, with some individuals stuck in traffic for more than two hours. One motorist posted on social media: "The entire traffic management system collapsed after the heavy rainfall. This issue demands immediate attention of the authorities.”

Rakesh Yadav of the Federation of Sadar Bazar Traders’ Association said that there has been no effort to remedy the conditions that caused water to enter the shops in Teliwara after torrential rains on June 28. "Despite the promises about sufficient arrangements being made to prevent waterlogging due to the Delhi Metro construction work going one, we encountered the same problems this year,” claimed Yadav.

Gurdeep Singh, a resident of Ordnance Apartments in Vikaspuri, pointed to the silt lying on the roadsides at the market there. "We had only mild rains on Wednesday, but the agencies haven't removed an inch of silt dredged from the drains," grumbled Singh.

On Wednesday, however, MCD reported meeting 103% of the desilting target in 713 drains covering a length of 466km. It claimed to have removed 80,690 tonnes of silt and transported it to landfills under strict supervision. In addition, MCD also said it had unclogged 12 of the 14 (of the total 22) drains set to be transferred to Delhi govt’s irrigation & flood control department. "We have desilted the 12 drains at ISBT, Kailash Nagar, Shastri Park and Sweeper Colony and the Magazine drain, Civil Military drain and the Moat drain (Vijay Ghat)," claimed an official.

Unlike Delhi, Gurgaon had rains in the late afternoon, providing relief from the humidity. In two hours till 5.30pm, the city had recorded precipitation of 35mm, enough to bring the maximum temperature to 36 degrees Celsius, half a deg- ree less than on Tuesday.

The weather in Gurgaon has been erratic in recent days, with abrupt changes in temperature and humidity. The rains on Wednesday were a welcome respite from the discomfort caused by the 78% humidity. But the rain also resulted in severe waterlogging in various parts of the city, causing massive traffic congestion. Key areas, such as Kapashera, Shankar Chowk, Narsinghpur, Khandsa Chowk, Sector-52, and Medanta Medicity road were all submerged. Residents of sectors 9, 22, 21, 10, 15, 31, and 38 reported flooded internal roads. Even the road to the district administration office was waterlogged.

Umesh Gupta, a motorist near Hero Honda Chowk, said, "Civic officials could not be seen working to pump out the water and clear the roads.” Monali Ray, a daily commuter from Udyog Vihar, grumbled, "It took me an hour and 25 minutes to reach home in Sector 95 today when it normally takes just 35 minutes. The entire national highway was jammed. Traffic was moving at a snail pace and there were small accidents on the highway, which created jams that had a ripple effect on the adjoining roads."

IMD has predicted heavy rains during the weekend and advised people to avoid unnecessary travel.

‘School not letting children attend classes over hiked fee’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: On Monday morning, a class 10 student reached his school, DPS Dwarka, after a long summer break, excited to reunite with his peers. However, to his surprise, he was allegedly asked to leave the class and sit alone in the library as “punishment” for not paying the hiked fee. Another child claimed she wasn’t allowed to use the washroom because she had not paid the fee arrears.

On Wednesday, the parents of several children protested outside the office of the Directorate of Education (DoE), alleging the school was “harassing” their wards for an increased fee, even though they had paid the DoE-approved fee.

There was no immediate response from school principal Priya Narayanan.

Shivendra Vishwash (44) alleged the name of his child, who is in class 9, has been struck off. “They are making my child feel isolated to pressure the parent to pay the hiked fee,” he said, adding, “The school has arbitrarily increased the fee, and we have been fighting a battle with them over this. Their response is to harass our children.”

Pinki Verma, whose son is in class 10, told TOI, “Because we are all raising our voice, my son is not being allowed to even sit in class. It has impacted him. I can’t take him to another school in the middle of the session.”

Arvind Krishnan, another parent, alleged, “The school has almost doubled the fee and is asking parents to pay for facilities like facilities they do not provide. The school is on DDA land. It must first get DoE approval for increasing the fee. How is it asking the parents to pay more? Why is govt silent?”

On March 27, DoE issued a circular saying for 2024-25, “no private unaided school in Delhi which has been allotted land by govt agencies shall enhance fee without the prior sanction of DoE”. But in May, Delhi HC stayed the directive.

The school had earlier sought approval from DoE for hiking the fee. However, this was rejected, following which the school put up a notice on its website saying: “The school does not accept the fee rejection order of DoE. It is in the process of taking all remedial actions as per law... There is no question of fee refund. Parents are required to make payment as per the school fee portal.”

‘Minor gave different versions of incident’

 Continued from P1

The 2015 amendment to the Juvenile Justice Act allows minors between the age of 16 and 18 to be treated as an adult in case of heinous crimes. In rarest of rare cases, a minor’s mental age is determined before trying them if they are a few days short of 16 years. It depends on arguments made and if the board accepts a request of determining their mental age,” an advocate said.

The boy had allegedly hatched the plan to steal from the cupboard.

He told counsellors that on July 1 morning, he took the girl’s two-year-old brother to his house on the pretext of playing with him. When their mother came over to his flat in an adjacent tower at the Sector 107 affordable housing society to pick up the child, he sensed his opportunity and slipped out, saying he had to go for coaching. He went straight to the girl’s home.

He has given different versions of what happened subsequently. Initially, he claimed to have sat down with the girl for some time, asked for water, and helped her with homework. Later, he claimed two thieves had entered the house to steal jewellery when he reached there. CCTV footage showed he had arrived at the girl’s house all by himself.

The boy told investigators when the girl went to the washroom, he opened the cupboard and found the jewellery. But she spotted it and confronted him. “He said he asked the girl to remain silent, but she wouldn’t. Rattled, he strangled her with a dupatta he found in the house. The boy used some camphor he found at the puja ghar and set the body on fire and stood there,” Kumar said.

Police will also seek permission to collect samples to ascertain if there was any sexual abuse.

Ensure no project sees overruns of more than 1.2 times: PWD directive

Siddhanta.Mishra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The Public Works Department (PWD) has issued a directive to restrict the final costs of upcoming projects and maintenance expenses for existing infrastructure facilities within the city. The instructions, circulated to all zones, clearly state that “in no case” should the completion cost of a new project exceed 1.25 times the initial contract amount.

The directive comes in the wake of investigations into two major projects, the Lok Nayak Hospital expansion and Barapullah Phase 3, due to rising construction costs.

A PWD official said the move is aimed at limiting the extent to which project costs can escalate. “The clause will be included in the tender, ensuring that private contractors undertaking the work are fully aware that they must complete the job within the specific amount of funds allocated for the project,” said the official.

Officials said that in the case of some projects, the increasing costs were being approved by engineers at a lower level and the final bill revealed they had exceeded the allocated budget, leaving govt liable.

“It shall also be ensured that no deviation in terms of scope, budget or any other kind shall be executed. The engineer in-charge shall be personally responsible for executing the work as provided in the sanction order,” stated the order issued by Shashanka Ala, special secretary, PWD.

Last Nov, LG VK Saxena said that for the Barapullah Phase 3 project, compared to the tender amount of Rs 964 crore, govt would end up paying Rs 1,326.3 crore. Under the project, undertaken by PWD, the construction of the 3.5km-long stretch began in April 2015 and was supposed to be finished by October 2017. However, it has been delayed by more than six years.

Recently, Saxena approved a proposal to refer the case of LNJP hospital’s expansion to Central Vigilance Commission for a detailed technical examination, taking note of the loss of public money due to “procedural violation”, leading to a significant cost overrun of Rs 670 crore.

PWD is constructing Delhi’s tallest hospital building at the hospital campus, with 21 floors. Although it was expected to be done by 2023-end, the work has been delayed. The building is now expected to be ready by 2025. Upon its completion, LNJP hospital will have a total capacity of 4,000 beds.

The cost of constructing the new block was estimated at Rs 465 crore but has since increased to Rs 1,135 crore, an escalation of nearly 143%.

57-year-old doc gets bail in ‘illegal’ abortion case

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: A court recently granted bail to a 57-year-old gynaecologist accused of carrying out multiple “illegal” abortions on a patient.

The court of vacation judge Jitendra Singh on June 29 also granted anticipatory bail to her 62-year-old husband, a child specialist, who works at the same clinic. He has been accused of furnishing false information.

The main case was registe- red in the South Rohini police station against a man under sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and other offences, including rape, criminal intimi- dation and voluntarily causing hurt. The complainant, who claimed she was a minor, had also alleged that her abortion was carried out thrice in May, Oct and Dec 2023 at the cli- nic of the accused doctor, who was arrested in June.

The court, however, noted that the doctor had been working at the clinic for the past 15 years without any complaint of illegal abortion against her and she had cooperated in the investigation by providing all records.

It said the clinic’s antenatal checkup forms had no entry of the complainant undergoing sonography/ultrasound there. The investigating officer submitted that she had checked the PNDT forms, maintained in compliance with Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act 1994.

She also said there were only two entries relating to the prosecutrix in May and Dec in the OPD register, which mentioned her age as 22 years.

After SC order, Noida clears revised layouts for Unitech projects

Aditya.Dev@timesgroup.com

Noida:After the Supreme Court’s order, Noida Authority has approved layouts of all Unitech projects in the city.

The court had originally directed Noida Authority to grant approvals for revised layout plans on the entire land allotted to Unitech without insisting on recovery of its dues, which amount to nearly Rs 11,000 crore. But in a revised order on Apr 26 this year, it directed that the allotted land should be categorised into two parts – where homebuyers have been allotted flats and plots, and where projects are yet to be launched. Layout approvals pertain to sections where projects have been launched.

Unitech is now run by a govt-appointed board, which has been tasked with delivering its incomplete flats to homebuyers. Noida Authority data shows Unitech possesses 443 acres of land across three parcels. Layout approval for projects has been granted on 246 acres, while 197 acres in the second segment remain vacant.

Around 5,500 homebuyers have bought flats and villas in these projects and are awaiting possession for 10 years now. With the approvals now given, construction work can resume on the projects.

YS Malik, a former IAS officer and chairman of the Unitech board since 2020, said contractors have been finalised for several batches of tenders and construction will start once environmental clearances for the projects are obtained.

Regarding land in the second segment, Malik said they plan to present the layouts to the Supreme Court and seek guidance on developing the necessary civic amenities. He also expressed concern about the way this would be done because amenity development should have continuity. “The facilities need to be developed in a continuous manner. However, the manner in which the sanction has been granted may pose challenges in developing these facilities,” he added.

In Sectors 96, 97 and 98, Unitech had launched three projects: Amber, Burgundy and Willows 1 and 2. There are 638 homebuyers in these projects, of whom 178 have sought refunds. Noida Authority has sanctioned 818 units on 164 acres of land while 180 acres remain vacant in the second segment. The total dues up to April 30, 2024 (including land premium and lease rent) amount to Rs 7,747.84 crore.

In Sector 113, the developer launched Unihomes 3, which has 1,621 homebuyers. Of these, 941 have sought refunds. Noida Authority has sanctioned 1,751 units on 26.5 acres, with about 9 acres of land lying vacant. The total dues on this project is Rs 900 crore. In Sector 117, the developer launched Exquisite, The Residences, Unihomes 1 and 2, Uniworld, and Gardens, comprising 3,327 homebuyers, of whom 1,036 have sought refunds.

‘Upper age in bone test to be considered for rape survivor’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: If the age of the survivor of a sexual assault has to be determined on the basis of a bone age ossification, the upper age given in the reference range in the report should be considered, and a margin of error of two years must be applied in Pocso Act cases, Delhi High Court has said.

A bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Manoj Jain observed on Tuesday that the presumption of innocence is an indispensable philosophy in the country’s adversarial system of law, and if there is an element of doubt, such benefit must go to the accused.

The ruling came on a reference received from a trial court dealing with a case under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, in which the survivor’s age was determined between 16 and 18 years in a bone test. It was argued in the trial court that the age should be construed as 20 years after considering the “upper age” in the range and further giving a margin of error of two years.

The high court opined that the age established by a test might not be precise and, therefore, a sufficient margin of error must be allowed. When a court orders an ossification test in the absence of a school or birth certificate, the result “does not provide us with precise and definite age”, but with an estimation, it added.

The bench said, it couldn’t be “oblivious of the fact that we are following an adversarial system of law where the presumption of innocence is an indispensable philosophy. “Since the adversarial system in India is based on the ‘innocence of the accused’, the burden of proof, generally, falls on prosecution”.

BJP, Cong trade barbs over Rahul’s speech

New Delhi: Delhi BJP on Wednesday protested over Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s remarks against the party and sought an apology from him.

The protesters assembled near Jaisalmer House and tried to move towards the Congress headquarters on Akbar Road, raising slogans against the newly-appointed leader of opposition in Lok Sabha and the party.

BJP Yuva Morcha’s national president, Tejasvi Surya, said it was not the time to deliver speeches but to “vigorously protest against the insult of Hindu society”. He said if Hindus were violent, temples would have already been built in place of the mosques in Kashi and Mathura.

Hitting back, Congress’ Abhishek Dutt said Rahul had said no such thing and BJP had not learnt from its electoral losses. “They are using their old tricks of tweaking things. One should see the whole speech of Rahul,” he added.

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva called Rahul’s speech a political game as he wanted his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to contest from Wayanad. Rahul had insulted the entire Indian culture and must apologise to the people of the country. “We will take this issue to every household in Delhi,” he said.

TNN

Teachers’ transfer: Atishi serves notices to officials

TIMESNEWSNETWORK

New Delhi: Delhi education minister Atishi on Wednesday served showcause notices to secretary and director of education department for allegedly transferring 1,009 teachers who have completed 10 years at a particular school in “violation” of her verbal and written directions.

Atishi, in the notices, claimed that by “wilfully disobeying” her directions, the two officials not only acted against the Constitutional provisions that the elected govt exercised complete control over transferred subjections but also violated the service conduct rules. The minister has asked the two officials to respond to the notices within three days.

Both the secretary and the director of the education department could not be contacted for their reaction.

In a circular issued on June 11, the directorate of education had made it mandatory for all govt teachers working in the same school for more than 10 years to compulsorily apply for transfer online, fai- ling which, they will be transferred to any school.

Atishi, in the notices, said that she had verbally directed the officials in a meeting on June 28 and later issued written directions to the directorate of education on July 1 to recall the direction and ensure that no teacher be transferred only because he or she had completed more than 10 years in a particular school.

The minister stated that mandatory transfer of teachers “dismantles the unique relation between a teacher and their students built over several years of trust and bond”. She added that abrupt transfer of teachers would “detrimentally impact the motivation amongst teachers, snapping their links with the community and the students, and scuttle the continuous progress of students” in state-run schools.

Atishi also directed the secretary (education) to ensure that no decision that affected the “morale or working condition” of a teacher in Delhi govt schools was taken without concurrence of the minister incharge in future.

Canopy fall: Cops seek info from authorities

New Delhi: Delhi Police have sent notices and sought details from the Airports Authority of India and Delhi International Airport Limited in connection with the canopy collapse incident in which a 45-year-old cab driver died. A police source revealed that the notices sent out contained multiple questions seeking details from the authorities. The source said these questions pertained to who was responsible for the canopy's maintenance, whether any repair work had been carried out previously, and the identity of the contractors or officials involved in the construction. Cops are waiting for the responses so that they can take further legal action in the case. The incident took place on June 28 when the heavy downpour brought down the canopy at the forecourt of Terminal 1 at IGI Airport early on, leaving a cab driver dead and eight people injured. The deceased was identified as Ramesh Kumar (45), who lived with his family at Vijay Vihar in Rohini. He had come to drop a passenger and was about to head for home when the incident took place. A case under sections 304A (causing death by negligence) and 337 (causing hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the IPC had been registered by the police. The canopy, spanning from departure gates 1 to 2, collapsed around 5am due to heavy rain. It was supported by pillars. Four vehicles, including the one in which the cab driver lost his life, were damaged. Sources said that the spot was inspected by FSL team and the notices were sent few days back.

TNN

Mango fest at Janakpuri Dilli Haat

New Delhi: Delhi govt’s popular annual event, the Mango festival, is back. The three-day event is being organised from July 5 by the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation at Janakpuri Dilli Haat. Officials said 500 varieties of mangoes from orchards located in different parts of the country will be showcased at the event. The festival is a regular feature in the city and always draws a huge crowd of mango aficionados. The festival has been organised every year since 1987 to celebrate the variety of flavours offered by the king of fruits and attracts thousands of people

TNN

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Times Special

- GIVE NO QUARTER

- THE SAVEIOR

- SHORT STORIES

GIVE NO QUARTER

The big guns have survived by the skin of their teeth. Tougher encounters await in the quarterfinals. And there’s no way out, but to find form and fire. In the knock-out stage, Euro 2024 is no James Bond movie. You don’t live twice. And you don’t die another day

GERMANY vs SPAIN

July 5, 9.30 pm STUTTGART

GERMANY (World No. 16)

Nickname: Nationalelf (The National Eleven), also Die Mannschaft (The team)

Road To Quarters: Beat Scotland 5-1, bt Hungary 2-0, drew with Switzerland 1-1. Beat Denmark 2-0

Strength: Formidable attack and defence. 10 goals in four games. Enjoyed 92% passing accuracy. Home advantage.

Weakness: Struggled to find the net against compact Switzerland

Hot Star: Antonio Rudiger, rock-like in defence with great work rate

Coach: Julian Nagelsmann. Only 36 and two years younger to goalie Manuel Neuer, Nagelsmann has coached Bayern Munich before

SPAIN (World No. 8)

Nickname: La Roja (The Red One)

Road To Quarters: Beat Croatia 3-0, bt Italy and Albania 1-0. Bt Georgia 4-1

Strength: Have displayed versatility, flair and creativity like none other

Weakness: Have only conceded 1 goal but Georgia showed they are vulnerable to counter-attacks

Hot Stars: Young wingers Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal have been first-rate attackers. Yamal has created six chances, the most by players aged 21 or under in knockouts at Euro since 1980

Do you know? Spain’s 4-1 victory over Georgia in the pre-quarters was the biggest victory margin by a team who conceded the opening goal in any Euro

Coach: Luis de la Fuente. Has played for and coached Athletic Bilbao

FRANCE vs PORTUGAL

July 6, 00.30 am HAMBURG

FRANCE (World No. 2)

Nickname: Les Bleus (The Blues)

Road To Quarters: Bt Austria 1-0, drew with Netherlands 0-0, drew with Poland 1-1. Bt Belgium 1-0

Strength: All-round wealth of talent. Imagine having a player of Eduardo Camavinga’s calibre on the bench. Strong defence. World’s top striker, Mbappe, has ironically been wasteful so far

Weakness: Needs to be precise and efficient in front of goal

Hot Star: N’Golo Kante. The tireless medio is enjoying the longest unbeaten run by any European player in World Cup/Euros. France haven’t lost any of the 19 such games he’s played

Do you know? France haven’t scored a single goal in open play yet

Coach: Didier Deschamps. WC Cup winner both as player and coach. Managing France since 2012. If he wins Euro, he will be the first to win both as coach and player

PORTUGAL (World no. 6)

Nickname: Os Navegadores (The Navigators)

Road To Quarters: Bt Czechia 2-1, bt Turkey 3-0, lost to Georgia 0-2. Bt Slovenia 0-0 (3-0) on penalties

Strength: Like their opponents, huge talent on paper with good possession (65%) record. Goalkeeper Diogo Costa is an asset defending set-pieces

Weakness: Despite an array of strikers, Portugal struggle to score goals. Ronaldo yet to hit form

Coach: Roberto Martinez. Under the Spaniard, Belgium became World No. 1 Fifa ranked side

ENGLAND vs SWITZERLAND

July 6, 9.30 pm DUSSELDORF

ENGLAND (World No. 5)

Nickname: Three Lions

Road To Quarters: Bt Serbia 1-0, drew with Denmark 1-1, drew with Slovenia 0-0. Bt Slovakia 2-1

Strength: Loaded with EPL million-dollar babies. Declan Rice has excelled in midfield. Late spark against Slovakia likely to have boosted confidence

Weakness: Largely slothful. Lack of self-belief. Manager Southgate must find the right balance between midfield and attack

Hot Star: Jude Bellingham’s bicycle kick is the goal of the tournament so far

Do You Know? Bellingham’s equaliser against Slovakia was his side’s first shot on target in the match Coach: Gareth Southgate. In charge since 2016. England finished runners-up in Euro 2020 at home

SWITZERLAND (World No. 19)

Nickname: Rossocrociati (The Red Cross)

Road To Quarters: Beat Hungary 3-1, drew with Scotland 1-1, drew with Germany 1-1. Bt Italy 2-0

Strength: Most successful squad in Swiss history. Captain Granit Xhaka, goalie Yann Sommer and defender Manuel Akanji have carried on with their tremendous club form

Weakness: Have enjoyed only 48% ball possession. Forwards Breel Embolo and Dan Ndoye yet to inspire confidence

Hot Star: Michel Aebischer has excelled in the middle

Coach: Murat Yakin. The 49-year old has also managed Spartak Moscow

NETHERLANDS vs TURKIYE

July 7, 00.30 am BERLIN

NETHERLANDS (World No. 7)

Nickname: Oranje

Road To Quarters: Bt Poland 2-1, drew with France 0-0, lost to Austria 2-3. Bt Romania 3-0

Strength: Sluggish in the group stage, the team was creative and incisive in the pre-quarters and looked a formidable all-round unit

Weakness: Can be wasteful before goal which could cost dear in a big game

Hot Star: Cody Gakpo, 3 goals. At 25, the youngest Dutch player to score and assist in a knockout game in a major tournament since Marco Van Basten (then 23) in the 1988 Euro final

Coach: Ronald Koeman. Former Barcelona sweeper, known for his long rangers, is one of world’s top coaches

TURKIYE: (World No. 42)

Nickname: The Crescent Stars

Road To Quarters: Beat Georgia 3-1, lost to Portugal 0-3, bt Czechia 2-1. Bt Austria 2-1

Strength: Confident unit punching above its weight. Talented teenager Arda Guler has shown why Real Madrid have snapped him up.

Weakness: On evidence of the Portugal game, can be overwhelmed and undone by an inventive side

Hot Star: Merih Demiral. The versatile defender was in double-goal scoring touch against Austria

Coach: Vincenzo Montella. The former Italian international has also managed AC Milan in club football

Total Goals in Euro 2024 so far 100

Gakpo, unstoppable

THE SAVEIOR

Goalkeeping is a thankless job. You are often remembered for your mistakes, not for your saves. But few will forget Turkiye goalkeeper Mert Gunok’s diving, one-hand punch to foil Austria in injury time on Tuesday night. The incredible save drew comparison with England’s Gordon Banks’ similar effort (see inset) to thwart Pele in 1970 World Cup. Portugal’s Diogo Costa was another hero. He became the first goalie to save three penalties in a Euro shootout, and also the first to concede zero goals in it

SHORT STORIES

Singing for “The A Team”: England’s footballers were treated to a private performance by British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran after their dramatic victory over Slovakia. Sheeran visited the players at their camp in Blankenhain. Video clips of his performance were posted on social media platform X

Elephantine Prophecies: Few predicted the events of World Cup 2010 as accurately as Paul, the Octopus. Paul, sadly, is long gone. But in the animal world of fortune tellers, there’s a new kid in town. Bubi, an elephant who lives in a reserve in Thuringia in central Germany, is doing a good job from all accounts so far

Times Global

- 484 seats for Labour? Historic win predicted for Tories’ rival

- Kamala blooms as debate debacle threatens to tank prez’s 2nd term bid

- Back to fin sector job if he loses? PM denies

- Diaspora support for Tories plummets

- Prez says ‘I’m running. No one is pushing me out’

- ‘Weighing options: Biden told ally’; WH says false

- France’s far-right seen falling short of majority in run-off, finds poll

- Nepal PM loses majority after coalition partner quits govt

- Roadside blast killed ex-senator, 4 others in NW Pakistan: Police

- AROUND THE WORLD

484 seats for Labour? Historic win predicted for Tories’ rival

Conservatives To Get Just 64 Of 650 Seats In UK Election Today, Says Opinion Poll

London: Britain’s Conservative Party all-but conceded election defeat to Keir Starmer’s Labour on Wednesday, a day before polling stations even opened, and warned that the opposition party was on course for a record-breaking victory. Opinion polls show centre-left Labour Party is set for a big win in Thursday’s vote that would end 14 years of Conservative govt and hand Starmer the keys to the PM’s Number 10 Downing Street office Friday.

Both Starmer and Conservative PM Rishi Sunak kicked off the last day of campaigning before polls open warning voters of dire economic consequences if the other man wins.

But, facing predictions of the worst result in the party’s history, the Conservatives turned their focus to damage limitation. “I totally accept that where the polls are at the moment means that tomorrow is likely to see the largest Labour landslide majority, the largest majority that this country has ever seen,” Conservative minister Mel Stride told BBC. “What therefore matters now is what kind of opposition do we have, what kind of ability to scrutinise govt is there within parliament”. Asked a bour Stride’s comments, Sunak said: “I’m fighting hard for every vote”.

Polling analysis by Survation sees Labour winning 484 of the 650 seats in parliament, far more than the 418 won by party’s Tony Blair in his 1997 landslide victory, and the most in its history. The Conservatives were predicted to win just 64 seats, which would be the fewest since the party was founded in 1834. Other analyses have shown smaller margins of win for Labour, but none have shown a different overall outcome. REUTERS

Kamala blooms as debate debacle threatens to tank prez’s 2nd term bid

Biden Facing Challenge Within Party. His Running Mate A Threat?

THE NUMBERS ARE ON HARRIS’ SIDE: A CNN poll showed on Tuesday that Trump led Biden by 6 percentage points, 49% to 43%. If Kamala Harris were the nominee, the race would be slightly closer, it showed, with her trailing Trump by 2 percentage points, 47% to 45%. In a Reuters/Ipsos poll, Harris trailed Trump by one point — 42% to 43%

Chidanand Rajghatta TNN

Washington: Mutiny has broken out in the US Democrat ranks with the first party lawmakers publicly calling for Prez Joe Biden to quit the 2024 race following his disastrous debate performance last week.

Although Biden has virtually sealed the party nomination well before the party convention in Aug, vice-president Kamala Harris is tipped to replace him if he bows to growing scepticism about his ability to win a second term. At least three congressmen broke ranks on Tuesday asking Biden to bow out, even as his aides and supporters, including his wife Jill Biden, tried to reassure donors and party rank and file that he will bounce back from his debate debacle.

While he has appeared more energetic in public rallies and appearances after the debate, Biden did himself no favours by saying he nearly fell asleep during the debate because of fatigue from international travel. “I wasn’t very smart,” he said at a fundraiser on Monday. “I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones ... before ... the debate.”

“Didn’t listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage. That’s no excuse but it is an explanation,” he added. The US president, at 82 the oldest to hold office, travelled to France and Italy in two separate trips in two weeks last month. He flew overnight from the G7 summit in Bari, Italy, to appear at a fundraiser with former prez Barack Obama in Los Angeles on June 15 before returning to Washington the following day. But he then spent six days at Camp David preparing for the June 27 debate, where he suffered bra- in freeze on occasions and was often incomprehensible.

Although party grandees like Obama and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi publicly took a charitable view of the debacle, scepticism about Biden’s viability for a second term is rippling through the party rank and file, with many lawmakers — dubbed the “bedwetting brigade” by the prez’s supporters — in a panic mode.

Texas congressman Lloyd Doggett became the first Democratic lawmaker to go public asking Biden to quit the race, saying, “Prez Biden saved our democracy by delivering us from Trump in 2020. He must not deliver us to Trump in 2024.” US representative Jim Clyburn, the man who was key to Biden’s 2020 win, said he would support Harris to be the nominee if Biden stepped aside.

In a new effort to allay party and voter concern, Biden aides have scheduled several public events and an unscripted interview on ABC News on Friday, which will bring even greater focus on his mental acuity. Any more missteps and his candidacy may well be toast. That would bring into play Kamala Harris, who as vice-president and his running mate in 2024, could inherit the campaign infrastructure and funds raised by Biden.

Although several other prominent Democrats, including California governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer are being discussed as potential replacements, Harris has the best name recognition and the advantage of being in national office. In a Reuters/Ipsos poll Tuesday, Harris trailed Trump by one point — 42% to 43% — a difference well within the poll’s 3.5% margin of error.

But Harris herself has been cautious about writing off the man who picked her to be his running mate when her presidential campaign tanked badly in 2019. “Vice-President Harris looks forward to serving a second term with President Joe Biden,” a statement from her office said Tuesday.

Despite running Trump close in the Reuters/Ipsos poll, Harris is seen as a weak candidate, partly on account of the US never having elected a woman — much less one of colour to the White House. Her performance and profile as Biden’s vice-president has also not been particularly striking. But with only 47 days to go before the Democratic convention in Chicago starting Aug 19 — and 125 days till the Nov 5 election —a Biden to Harris ticket would be the most obvious and logical transition given the time, money and effort it will take for other candidates to step up.

Biden says he ‘fell asleep on stage’

US Prez Biden acknowledged on Tuesday that he “fell asleep on the stage” during his disastrous debate last week, blaming his performance on a busy travel schedule in June that took him to Europe twice. “The fact is that you know, I wasn’t very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones ... before ... the debate. Didn’t listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage,” he said at a fundraiser. “That’s no excuse but it is an explanation.” NYT

‘Kingmaker’ floats ‘mini-primary’ idea

House Democrat Jim Clyburn —a kingmaker of sorts within the Democratic Party and who was instrumental in Biden’s 2020 win — said the party should hold a “mini-primary” if Biden steps aside, the first senior party member to talk publicly about how, exactly, replacing Biden as a candidate would work. Clyburn, who said he would back vice-prez Kamala Harris as the candidate if Biden were to depart, added: “If she were to be the nominee, we need to have a running mate and a strong running mate.” REUTERS

Back to fin sector job if he loses? PM denies

Naomi Canton

London: UK PM Rishi Sunak is expected to stay on as a backbench MP if his party does not win the general election. However there is a risk he could lose his seat, becoming the first serving PM to lose a general election and his seat at the same time.

In 2019, Sunak won the Richmond and Northallerton seat with a majority of 27,210 and 63% of the vote. Political consultancy electoral calculus gives the Tories a 50% chance of holding onto the seat and Labour a 47% chance of gaining it. No incumbent PM has ever lost their seat at a UK general election.

There is speculation Sunak may return to working in the financial sector, whether or not he stays on as MP, and spend more time in California, where he has a home. Sunak, however, has flatly denied he plans to quit as MP and move to California if he wins his seat but loses the election, and vowed to continue to represent his Yorkshire cons- tituents. If the Tories are the second-largest party Sunak will be leader of the opposition.

Amajor survey for the Daily Telegraph by Savanta and Electoral Calculus last month suggested the Conservatives would be reduced to just 53 seats, their worse result in modern history, and Sunak himself would lose his constituency, which he has held since 2015 and where he is known as the “Maharajah of the Yorkshire Dales”.

A leadership election is likely to take place within the party even if Sunak keeps his seat. Priti Patel, Boris Johnson, David Cameron, Kemi Badenoch, and Suella Braverman are among those expected to stand. But Braverman and Patel are also in tight races for their seats.

Three Indian-origin MPs, Shailesh Vara and Gagan Mohindra, both Tories, as well as Labour’s Thangam Debbonaire, are predicted to lose their seats at this election, according to Electoral Calculus. Other big Tory names whose seats are vulnerable include Jeremy Hunt, Liz Truss, James Cleverly and Penny Mordaunt. Pro-India Tory MPs Bob Blackman and Theresa Villiers who have consistently defended India in the House of Commons are also forecast to lose their seats.

Diaspora support for Tories plummets

Naomi Canton

London: There has been a tangible shift in British Indian support away from the Conservatives at this election with many desis choosing to support Independents, Labour and Lib Dems. A section are still supporting Conservatives but support is not as strong as 2019.

In Slough, Karpal Singh (76), who came to the UK in 1972, said: “Sikhs are voting Labour because they like Tan Dhesi. There are no jobs and things should be better with Labour.” “The Tories need to go into opposition. Any party that doesn’t do good service needs to learn,” said Kewal Kang (86), who arrived from Punjab in 1961.

Vishal Srivastava (40), a scientist from UP, said: “In 2019, I voted Conservative. This time I will vote for the independent Chandra Sekhar Muvvala, a local councillor. I have seen the work he carries out and he is go- od… I would prefer the Conservatives to win as they will handle the economy better. I don’t think criticism of Rishi Sunak is justified... but I feel he could have focused more on generating jobs and manufacturing.”

Hirdesh Gupta (42), an IT professional who moved to the UK from UP seven years ago, said: “In 2019, (Jeremy) Corbyn was Labour leader and his views angered all Indians. Labour has changed and so some people are going back to Labour. However I am a strong Conservative. I am worried Labour will bring out appeasement politics.” Arpit Mehrotra (37), who works as an IT engineer in Slough and moved to UK in 2021 from Delhi, said he is voting Conservative. “He has stabilised the economy and built a good relationship with India. I want Rishi to stay as PM.”

In Norwich, Farhana Deeba (44), a shop manager, said she would be voting Labour. “The Tories only help rich people.”

Prez says ‘I’m running. No one is pushing me out’

A sign calling for Biden to end his candidacy outside White House

Washington: Prez Joe Biden defiantly vowed on Wednesday to keep running for reelection, rejecting growing pressure from within his Democratic Party to withdraw after a disastrous debate performance raised questions about his readiness. He said he would not be forced from the race. “I am running. I am the leader of the Democratic Party. No one is pushing me out,” Biden said, according to a top aide who posted his comment on the X.

Biden and vice-president Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on a Democratic National Committee call, according to three sources. The people said it was a pep talk, stressing the stakes of the election and returning to Biden’s post-debate comments that he would get back up after being knocked down. It was one of several efforts by the prez and his team to try to calm increasing anxiety among his allies on Capitol Hill and at top levels of his party.

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients urged people during an earlier all-staff meeting Wednesday to tune out the “noise” and focus on the task of governing, according to a White House official.

Biden himself began making personal outreach on his own, speaking privately with senior Democratic lawmakers such as Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, Delaware Senator Chris Coons and South Carolina Representative James Clyburn, according to a second White House official and others with knowledge of the conversations. AP

‘Weighing options: Biden told ally’; WH says false

GAINING GROUND: Biden trails Donald Trump by six points in a NYT/Siena College poll released Wednesday, conducted after his calamitous debate performance last week. He scored 43% among likely voters against his rival’s 49%. ‘It is the largest lead Trump has recorded in a NYT/Siena poll since 2015,’ the newspaper reported

Washington: Prez Biden has told a key ally that he knows he may not be able to salvage his candidacy if he cannot convince the public in the coming days that he is up for the job after a disastrous debate performance last week. The prez, whom this ally emphasised is still deeply in the fight for reelection, understands that his next few appearances heading into the holiday weekend must go well.

“He knows if he has two more events like that, we’re in a different place” by the end of the weekend, said the ally, referring to Biden’s fumbling performance in the debate. The person, who talked to the prez in the past 24 hours, spoke on the condition of anonymity.

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said President Biden had told her that he had not told associates he was considering whether to withdraw from the race. “That is absolutely false,” she said during the briefing, adding, “That’s coming directly from him.”

The conversation is the first indication to become public that the president is seriously considering whether he can re- cover after a devastating performance on the debate stage in Atlanta on Thursday.

A top adviser to Biden, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the situation, said the president was “well aware of the political challenge he faces.” That person added on Wednesday that the president believes he is an effective leader who is mentally sharp and “doesn’t get how others don’t accept that”. NYT

France’s far-right seen falling short of majority in run-off, finds poll

Paris: Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) will not win a majority of seats in next Sunday’s parliamentary runoff election, according to a poll on Wednesday, suggesting efforts by French mainstream parties to block the far right might work.

A Harris Interactive poll for Challenges magazine — the first to be published after politicians across party lines formed an anti-RN front — showed the RN would fall short of the 289 seats required to control the 577-seat National Assembly.

The RN and its allies would get just 190 to 220 seats, according to the poll, while the centre-right Republicans (LR) would win 30 to 50 seats. This could rule out the possibility of a far-right minority govt supported by part of the LR parliamentary group. “The result of the withdrawals is a clear step back for RN,” Challenges reporter Remi Clement wrote on X. REUTERS

Nepal PM loses majority after coalition partner quits govt

Oli’s CPN-UML Officially Withdraws Support, His Ministers Quit; Prachanda To Face Confidence Vote Within 30 Days

NEW ALLIANCE: Differences with Prachanda paved the way for CPN-UML’s chairman K P Sharma Oli (R) to strike a deal with Sher Bahadur Deuba of the opposition Nepali Congress

Kathmandu: Embattled Nepali PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal lost his govt’s majority on Wednesday after his key coalition partner withdrew support, triggering fresh political uncertainty in Kathmandu’s volatile parliament. Dahal is expected to face a vote of confidence in parliament within 30 days.

The 69-year-old former Maoist guerrillahas held the PM’s position since Dec 2022 through fragile alliances. Four months ago, Prachanda sacked his old allies and rebuilt his partnership with the Communist Party of Nepali -Unified Marxist Leninist, but it did not hold. “All the ministers have resigned, we have withdrawn our support and have informed the PM,” Mahesh Bartaula, chief whip of CPN-UML, said. The party had eight ministers in the Prachanda cabinet, including deputy PM.

Differences within the top leadership paved the way for CPN-UML’s chairman KP Sharma Oli to strike a midnight deal with Sher Bahadur Deuba of the opposition Nepali Congress (NC) on Tuesday.

Deuba Wednesday asked Prachanda to pave the way. “The PM should resign after the largest parties NC and UML said they would form a new govt together,” he said. A party spokesman said the new govt will be formed through the constitutional process if the PM does not quit.

Nepali Congress, the largest party in the 275-member House of Representatives, has 89 seats at present, while CPN-UML has 78 seats. Their combined strength of 167 is sufficient for a majority of 138 seats in the lower house. Prachanda’s party has 32 seats.

A seven-point alliance deal finalised between Deuba and Oli on Monday night includes the sharing of the remaining three-year term of parliament between the two parties, the ministerial division, provincial leadership roles and a rotation for the PM position.

Nepal’s next general polls are to be held in 2027. AFP & PTI

Roadside blast killed ex-senator, 4 others in NW Pakistan: Police

Khar: A former senator in Pakistan was killed Wednesday when a vehicle carrying him and supporters struck a roadside bomb in a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban near the Afghan border, police said. Four other people were killed.

The attack occurred in Bajur, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said Bakhat Bunar, a local police chief. He said the former senator, Hidayatullah Khan, had been traveling in a convoy to attend an election rally. Prez Asif Ali Zardari and other officials denounced the bombing.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack, and the Pakistani Taliban in a statement said they were not involved. Bajur until recently was a stronghold of the group, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. Wednesday’s attack came a year after a suicide bomber blew himself up at a rally of the Jamiat Ulema Islam party in Bajur, killing dozens and injuring 200. AP

AROUND THE WORLD

4TH OF JULY SCORCHER SET FOR A QUARTER OF THE US: A huge swath of the US is forecast to experience dangerously high temps on Wednesday, just ahead of the long Fourth of July weekend. Some 110 million people in 21 of 50 states will spend their holiday under heat advisories and warnings. In California, a fire broke out on Tuesday in and around the city of Oroville (above), forcing thousands to evacuate homes

Japan govt finally wins war against use of floppy disks, two decades late

Japan’s govt has finally eliminated the use of floppy disks in all its systems, two decades since their heyday, reaching a long-awaited milestone in a campaign to modernise the bureaucracy. “We have won the war on floppy disks on June 28!” digital minister Taro Kono, who has been vocal about wiping out fax machines and other analogue technology in govt, told Reuters Wednesday. The digital agency was set up during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, when a scramble to roll out nationwide testing and vaccination revealed that the govt still relied on paper filing and outdated technology.

A Detroit-Amsterdam flight diverts to NY over rotten food

A Delta flight from Detroit to Amsterdam was diverted to New York’s Kennedy Airport on Wednesday after passengers were served spoiled food, airline officials said. The flight took off from Detroit around 11pm (local time) Tuesday and landed in New York at 4am “after reports that a portion of the Main Cabin in-flight meal service were spoiled,” a Delta spokesperson said in. Emergency medical responders met the flight and treated 12 passengers It was not clear how many of the flight's 277 passengers ate the spoiled food. Delta said it would investigate.

Meloni says no space for fascism in her party

Italy PM Giorgio Meloni has admonished the youth wing of her far-right Brothers of Italy party after an Italian news outlet published videos showing some of its members glorifying fascism. “There is no space in Brothers of Italy for racist or antisemitic positions, just as there is no space for nostalgics of totalitarianism of the 1900s.”

Editorial

- Crushing Truth

- Court Don’t Contort

- My doctored life

- Modi Vs Rahul, House & Country

- 80K Question: Why’s Market OK With Macro Problems?

- India’s T20 World Cup And Three Ps of Success

- A thought for today

- Sacred space

Crushing Truth

Stampedes, like the one in Hathras, are frequent as official permissions for events don’t ask basic questions

As fatalities climb beyond 120 from the stampede at a religious event in UP’s Hathras, authorities have promised the trio of response – compensation, investigation and bluster – that accompanies every such mass accident, which mostly claims lives of poor people. At least 2,000 people have died in stampedes over the last 20 years at religious sites and celebrations across India. The reality is there’s barely any report of legal closure of any such tragedy. UP has ordered a judicial inquiry, there’s a PIL for a CBI probe. A key organiser isn’t named in the FIR.

In Hathras over 2.5L people had gathered when permission was for 80k. Such massive overcrowding and insufficient exits – motorbikes recklessly parked blocked the single entrance/exit – was worsened by rain that had turned the paddy fields into sludge. And as evident in events that led up to the crush, it was, as stampedes always are, a spiral of mass behaviour difficult to stop. Whether in the rush for a holy dip, or slippery steps to temples, or as in Hathras, clambering to grab soil from where the godman had walked, it’s momentary ‘craze’ that drives stampedes. Patterns repeat themselves in every such accident. It is also evident why investigations rarely see accountability or action taken. Because after the mandatory noises, there’s a deep-set belief stampedes can’t be stopped.

Truth is, there are well-established measures recommended for large events to minimise the chances of a crush, of humans in frenzy and panic. Administrations, when granting approvals, must ensure adherence to the venue layout that’s okayed, that exits and entrances aren’t blocked, that there are a control room, live surveillance of crowd movement, PA systems, and crowd density monitoring. These are resources that should be available pre-event. Even learning from previous incidents is a gap in India’s crowd management. That the Hathras godman had his own “narayani sena” to manage his followers’ throng shows a heightened awareness of crowd-behaviour at his events. Why are these details never a point of official note pre-event?

Nearly every high-fatality stampede in India has been during religious celebrations. And because it’s religion, authorities north to south, east to west, tiptoe around calling out those responsible. That is exactly the problem. Events – whether sporting, musical or religious– need to be managed to ensure no injury and loss of life. Some are already talking of ‘conspiracy’, ‘political nexus’, and the baba’s blue aviators. All that’s not the point. The dead women and children are.

Court Don’t Contort

Hindu majority is under no threat from conversions. HCs should know this basic data point

Can an untruth told loud enough and often enough prevail over the truth? That this danger is very real today, is what is captured by the phrase ‘post-truth world’. But in this very world, many institutions have been designated to fight on behalf of factuality. In the Indian setup, constitutional courts play a vital role in this fight. So, when their observations fly in the face of black and white data, or argue a subjective morality instead of objective precedents in case law, it is both disappointing and dangerous. Allahabad HC flying the bogey of Hindus being in danger of becoming a minority, falls squarely in this worrying category.

TFR reality | There is no arguing with India’s fertility transition. Overall TFR has already reached below replacement level, Muslims are recording a much faster fertility decline than Hindus, and the definitive convergence between the two means that Hindus’ huge majority is impenetrable. Between 1992-93 and 2019-21, Muslim TFR dropped 2 points to 2.4 and Hindu TFR dropped 1.3 points to 2. Diving deeper, only the wilfully blind will miss that the real cause of fertility diversity is not religion but region. Deeper still, Hindu TFR in Bihar (2.88) is higher than Muslim TFR in Karnataka (2.05), because it is really educational, social and economic backwardness that results in higher fertility.

Judicial unreality | There is also the issue of judges frequently hitting the headlines with oral observations that belong better in their personal living rooms, than in constitutional courts. Plus, HCs saying that EC “should be put up on murder charges” or that “a wife should be like goddess Sita”, can influence lower courts very unpleasantly. Stereotypes and strife have promoters enough. Our courts should champion dispassion and reason.

My doctored life

erratica

Thank you, but hope to never need you again

Bachi Karkaria

Since my column doesn’t appear on Mondays, I’m saying ‘Happy Doctors’ Day’ to all my wonderful saviours now. I could add ‘Better late than never’, but never needing them would be better. Alas, that’s rarely an option even if we never slip up on yoga/tai chi/10,000 steps, blue zone diet, own the most luxe onesie activwear – or corner the world’s entire apple crop. ‘Late’ is also loaded. Too long a delay could result in our becoming ‘the late Mr/Ms/Mx…’ Any which way, we can never keep the doctor away.

Still, it’s good to know that there’s one token day when doctors are in the news for the right reason. Not because they’re ‘operators’ of the greediest degree. Or when they’ve (optimistically) mistaken a foreskin for a leg, as happened just last week. Or the scam of the year being the entrance eligibility exam for medical colleges. Or whatever is the latest proof that the profession has abandoned the old attribute, and instead taken up residency in Bad side Manor.

Besides, it’s only fair that when some or other ailment/body part gets a shoo-in throughout the year, a ‘day’ is also reserved for those actually qualified to deal with the problem. Last Monday reminded us that Dr Wiki should not attempt to cure the sicki.

Hippocrates swear, I’m not a hypochondriac – despite my double proclivity from being born Parsi and growing up among Bengalis. But, I have happily tried allopathy, homeopathy and ayurveda. Unani? My acquaintance is limited to the rather apt ‘B.U.M.’ degree on doctors’ signboards when I frequented Mumbai’s red-light area during my HIV-AIDS writing days. Ouff, of course I know pharmacopia isn’t what’s consulted to help farmers cope with chronic stress.

So here’s an acute ‘thank you’ to everyone who’s given me a functioning anatomy. From obscure midwife at Navsari’s Lying-in Hospital to Kolkata’s storied daktar babus to Mumbai’s legends – and all the lesser known, but no-less grateful to. Those who’ve put their finger on my ailments’ pulse. Who’ve given me back an arm and a leg, plus vision too. Who know my intestines better than I ever want to. Who’ve held my heart in their hands.

***

Alec Smart said: “Monsoon session – no hail, only storms.”

Modi Vs Rahul, House & Country

There is clearly some animosity between PM and LoP. This needs to be kept under check because India needs informal policy consensus. Closed-door meeting between the two will help

R Jagannathan

Many things have been said about the first verbal skirmish in Parliament between NDA govt and opposition, or, more specifically between Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The most commonly heard comment is that opposition has finally found its voice, and govt now cannot steamroller anything through Parliament using its numerical majority.

It is good to have a strong opposition, just as it is good to have a competent govt, but what the first “debate” over motion of thanks to President’s speech revealed was something more worrisome: the visceral dislike both Rahul and Modi have for one another, mirroring the divisiveness that is politically explicit between BJP and Congress & its “secular” allies.

This personal dislike for each other goes back to the 2002 Gujarat riots, when Modi was declared an object of hate by Congress and the “secular” opposition. No amount of exoneration by the legal system has changed this perception, and Rahul was unwise to indirectly harp on BJP’s alleged hate culture in his speech. For their part, Modi and BJP have been aggressively critical of the Nehruvian legacy and Rahul’s rise to prominence based on lineage. For a while, this characterisation worked well for BJP/NDA, as Rahul was seen as “Pappu”, someone with no political gravitas. BJP also used Rahul’s Pappu status as a useful contrast to Modi’s own personality. BJP partisans saw this as a no-contest and indirectly promoted a Modi-Rahul comparison.

The old adage, be careful what you wish for, for it may come true, applies here. After years of demanding a prime ministerial face from opposition and Congress, it is now reasonably clear that Rahul could be that face, and it is not the face of Pappu.

Even before he started shedding his Pappu status, Rahul had the ability to get under BJP’s skin. As early as 2015, he managed to rile govt by calling it a “suit-boot ki sarkar”, and later doubled down on this allegation by directly naming Gautam Adani.

Among other things Rahul said in his debut speech as LoP was that Modi and Amit Shah do not care about what is happening in Manipur, and that neither of them (and their party) was a Hindu by his definition. PM, for his part, spoke of legal cases faced by Rahul, and how his party is riding on votes of its allies rather than its own strength. He referred to LoP’s speech as infantile (“Balak Buddhi”).

None of this bodes well for the future of our democracy or legislative processes, where many contentious issues, ranging from the forthcoming delimitation exercise to creating a congenial climate for job creation, need cross-party consensus.

Even assuming Rahul’s remarks on Hinduism and BJP were only aimed at labelling BJP and Sangh Parivar as hate-driven, those bits of his speech went too far. Contrast these comments with his own assertion some time ago that his ally, Muslim League, was a “secular” party. Sangh may not represent all Hindus, but it deserves legitimate social and political space for canvassing its own version of nationhood, which Rahul may disagree with.

Worse, he made baseless allegations about minimum support prices and compensation to Agnipath martyrs, when the truth was otherwise. It is one thing to demand accountability from govt in office, quite another to use lies or half-truths for short-term point-scoring.

Rahul and his advisers obviously believe that attack is the best form of defence. They have tried to throw all kinds of muck at govt with the hope that some of it sticks. In the age of social media, what happens in Parliament can quickly be made viral in shorter clips, never mind the expungement of such remarks by the Speaker. Govt is thus forced to come up with delayed fact-checking rebuttals and denials. As the saying goes, a lie can travel halfway around the world while truth is still tying its shoelaces.

Since opposition plans to give govt a torrid time over the NEET paper leak issue, tense situation in Manipur, inadequacies of Agniveer scheme, jobs crisis, inflation, and other hot-button issues, one can foresee more confrontationist postures in the 18th Lok Sabha.

A parliament where govt and opposition are at daggers drawn all the time cannot work to solve India’s real problems, including agreeing on some informal limits to what kind of freebies can be offered to voters ahead of an election. Both BJP and Congress must agree to disagree agreeably, and put limits on how far they will take their visceral hatreds when larger interests of the country are at stake.

A closed-door meeting between Modi and Rahul could help set some limits in public discourse. A joint meeting between senior BJP and opposition members to keep their political animosities within bounds is also called for. The vicious sampler we saw in Parliament this week should worry everybody who cares for India that is Bharat.

80K Question: Why’s Market OK With Macro Problems?

Investors are cheering good news from the top 10% of the economy. Post-reforms, stock market booms have never waited for broad-based economic growth

Somnath Mukherjee

It was barely a month ago that people were worrying about election results and its impact on markets. But markets have continued to make all-time highs since then, with Sensex now breaching the unprecedented 80,000 mark. There is a near-constant apprehension about valuations, over-heating etc. But continuing confidence of domestic investors is papering over such nervousness.

The macro backdrop | Recent GDP growth figure came in at 8.2% for FY24, surprising estimates on the upside. While inflation’s a tad sticky, it’s not alarming. Global commodity prices, especially oil, are holding down at moderate levels. Current account came in at a rare surplus level of 0.6% of GDP in the last quarter of FY24. Strong growth in tax revenues has kept post-Covid fiscal consolidation (at a Union Budget level) on track.

Economy on one-and-a-half stilts | Looking beneath the hood, economy is powering along on one-and-a-half cylinders – strong public investment and a sustained pickup in premium consumption. The latter (half) cylinder is primarily driven by the large wealth effects of a booming stock market and strong growth in high-end services jobs. A banking system with the strongest balance sheet in half a generation has lubricated premium-end growth well. But a foundation of one-and-a-half stilts is fundamentally vulnerable. Consumption, more than half of India’s GDP, is stuck at a low datum level for several quarters, as the post-Covid bump wears off. At less than 4% growth in the latest GDP number, the largest cylinder is stuttering.

Private & public capex | Investments have been the strong pillar of growth in recent times, touching 33.5% of GDP in FY24 from 31.6% in FY19. More than one-third of investments is real estate. Despite robust growth in luxury housing demand, nearly the entire increase has been on account of public investment. Between Centre and state budgets, capex has grown nearly 30%. Aggregate private capex though, despite nice headlines, has remained anemic.

Meanwhile, public capex has started facing political-economy headwinds. Recently, Karnataka and Maharashtra govts rolled out extensive welfare budgets, which can only be financed out of a reduction in capex outlays. While the overall fisc is comfortable, there is still work left to work off the effects of Covid. Consolidated (Centre and states) fiscal deficit is over 8.5%. Thanks to lower core inflation, nominal GDP growth has been stuck in single digits for many quarters now – 9.6% in FY24 – preventing debt from being inflated away. Between political-economy imperatives and continuous capex pump prime, something has to give.

Jobs, consumption, investment | Why is private capex still weak? Simple, it’s all about demand. There just isn’t enough aggregate demand to absorb existing factory capacities. Capacity utilisation rates have been stuck at the 75-76% range for a long time. Above all, in a range of goods, China has enough capacity to fill global demand. There is a competitive Chinese supply at every price point available, eroding pricing power of Indian manufacturers. While there are tariff protections now in some sectors, Chinese capacities enable price competitiveness across moderate tariff walls. Thus, neither domestic nor global demand has given India Inc the confidence to invest big.

Sans consumption revival, there will be no private capex. Higher consumption requires more income in the hands of citizens. More income can only come from more jobs. Jobs, especially in the organised sector, have been tough to generate on a large scale.

But markets and macros are decoupled | Are markets decoupled from the macro? Yes. And it’s a global phenomenon. But decoupling in India has been quite sharp in the last decade-and-a-half.

From a macro performance perspective, India’s always been a 50:50 country. Economic growth, since 1991, has been consistently in global Top 5 lists. But barring short periods, most notably between 2003 and 2008, it hasn’t been at expected China/East Asian Tiger levels. Human Development Indicators, despite steady improvements, have also been modest.

However, India has remained a strong capital markets story. That hasn’t been a simple matter of great macros, but a few micro ‘stars’ coming together. India’s numbers – population of 1.4bn – work probabilities in its favour. Add India’s long tradition of entrepreneurship and the more recent development of a world-class professional talent pool. India’s financial services architecture enables efficient monetisation of assets. This is a clear outlier in the emerging markets universe, ahead of even China, at par with global financial centres like New York and Singapore.

Recent improvements in physical infra, and a world-class digital stack, have hastened creation of valuable enterprises well-monetised by an efficient financial market. But most of it remains at the upper hand of the infamous ‘K’ – the top 10% of population.

Markets are a weighing machine of survivors, while macros are a counting machine of everyone. The current euphoria is around the reading of the weighing machine. The counting machine is still struggling to tick along fast enough.

The writer is CIO of an asset and wealth management firm

India’s T20 World Cup And Three Ps of Success

THE SPEAKING TREE

Mona Mehta

Even to someone who has been living under a rock and woke up to India’s victory in the T20 World Cup, irritated by the sound of crackers bursting in the middle of the night – these cricket matches can have some trophy-worthy life lessons to offer.

Poring over reams of content and commentaries, these matches revealed some profound truths.

Past failures purify | Failing in a game can actually work in your favour. India’s cricket team had been reeling under a decade-long bad spell of missing cricket trophies by exiting matches either in the semi-finals or finals. Criticism that failure brings can help in two ways – it can reveal your imperfections and offer opportunities for purification. Now loopholes can be plugged and performance improved. Criticism also teaches us detachment and the best way to deal with critics – neither getting affected by them nor wasting time holding on to grudges. Instead, direct your energy towards improving the game.

Perseverance pays | No matter what happens and whatever kind of adversary you are up against, it is essential to do your dharma, in this case, as a cricketer, play a wonderful game of cricket, wholeheartedly. Krishn talks about this attitude in the Bhagwad Gita verse III:16, when he asks a disheartened and depressed Arjun to pick up his bow and fight and do his karm as a warrior, for that is the path to glory: ‘He who does not follow the wheel of creation thus set going in this world, ie, does not perform his duties, leads a sinful and sensual life, he lives in vain.’

Sage Vasisht too glorifies purusharth, human effort, in Yog Vasisht II:4:12, when, upon sensing that his student, Prince Ram, was becoming complacent and lethargic, he states that whatever one wishes to have, one works to achieve it accordingly; it is certainly attained if effort is not abandoned halfway through.

Once you are in the self-improvement zone, it is essential to discard the ladder of criticism and hurt that motivated you to get here. Now, just persevere. The Japanese have a word for this – ganbarimasu – which means not stopping until the objective has been reached. It stands for perseverance along with patience. In their book, The Ikigai Journey, Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles quote a Japanese proverb ‘if you want to heat a rock, sit on it for a hundred years’…for patience with perseverance leads us to fulfilling our goals.

Pressure-proof yourself | With the South African team on the verge of victory, the final cricket match being played under the watchful eyes of millions of cricket fans, the tsunami of pressure must have been sky-high. But Suryakumar Yadav used all his energy, presence of mind, focus, and agility – to take a historic catch that sealed India’s victory. We can withstand all kinds of pressure and perform well if we focus all our energy only on the present – detaching ourselves from all past happenings, as well as stonewalling all shards of future anxiety. This way, we move into our zone, where each of our actions is automatically tailored to meet the need of the moment.

India’s victory helped us net three ‘Ps’ that can help us glide through life’s ups and downs effortlessly.

monamehta07@yahoo.com

A thought for today

To err is human. To blame someone else is politics.

HUBERT H HUMPHREY

Sacred space

Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless in facing them. Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, but for the heart to conquer it.

Rabindranath Tagore

Times Business

- Retail Investors Chant Buy-Buy Amid FPIs’ Buy & Bye

- Steady rupee a positive for foreign funds

- Tata Motors, Mahindra top sensex gainers since 40,000 pts

- What to buy? Keep good company, go for large caps

- Valuations are up... will profits keep pace?

- Robust growth prospects boost market sentiment

- Small towns join stock party, bull run reaches Sundarbans

- Lending by NBFCs grows 1.8% in Q4

- Job creation in services sector fastest in 22 mths

- Funding to startups rises 45% to $3.2bn

- Report: India 5th in GenAI inventions

- Ex-RBI guv Patel joins Britannia board

- Need to further boost governance, says Das

- Koo, desi rival of Twitter, closes ops on funding woes

- ‘Reduce friction around ease of doing business’

- PM cites 10 Prez rule spells in Manipur to attack oppn

- ‘Throughout night, saw bodies brought in tempos, even trucks’

- Mistaken for terrorists, bearded BSF men in military fatigues spark scare in Pathankot

- NHRM scam: Shooter gets life terms for killing CMOs 13 yrs ago

- TWO MURDERS THAT SHOOK UP 13 YEARS AGO

Retail Investors Chant Buy-Buy Amid FPIs’ Buy & Bye

There’s Optimism Over Corporates’ Growth Prospects But Analysts Advice Caution In Near Term Due To Expensive Valuations

SIPs give MFs ammo to counter foreign flight

Aseem.Gujar@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: In the five years that the sensex took to double to 80,000, retail investors have emerged as a counterbalance to deep-pocketed foreign funds who have held sway on Dalal Street for decades. A steady rise in investments by individuals, especially through mutual funds, has fed the bull rally that kicked off after the Covid crash in March 2020.

Retail investors didn’t take their feet off the gas even as foreign fund managers grappled with the impact of global disruptions like the pandemic, wars & spikes in inflation and interest rates. In a way, individuals who invest their savings in stocks and mutual funds, often through mobile apps, are partly responsible for furthering the bull run that attracted them to equities in the first place.

While the exact number of individual investors in India is difficult to ascertain, the surge in demat accounts & monthly mutual fund SIP amounts can help tell a story.

Consider this: In May 2019, when the sensex hit 40,000 for the first time, the number of demat accounts stood at about 3.6 crore and monthly MF SIPs hovered around Rs 8,000 crore. In five years, demat accounts have more than quad- rupled to 15.1 crore and MF SIP flows have nearly tripled to Rs 21,000 crore.

“Even though foreign fund holdings in Indian markets are at historically low levels (16% as against a peak of 24% ownership), Indian markets are at all-time-high levels... and a leading factor for this is the enhanced market participation by retail investors,” said Vi- rendra Somwanshi, head (wealth management & capital markets) at Bank of Baroda.

Among the reasons for the surge in retail participation in Indian equity markets is improving financial literacy, and improved digital infra & platforms that allow seamless KYC, onboarding & transactions, Somwanshi said.

With surging SIP flows and stock prices, the value of assets managed (AUM) by the mutual fund industry has more than doubled to Rs 59 lakh crore from 26 lakh crore in five years. “This is a testament of investors’ wealth creation when following a long-term investment approach. MFs have aided in financialisation of Indian households even though the journey is still in the initial stages,” said Swarup Mohanty, vicechairman & CEO, Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India).

The SIP-driven rise of individual investors has provided mutual fund companies with ammunition, which they deployed effectively amid bouts of foreign fund selloffs. “Domestic investors in India, through direct and indirect investments, have ensured that ‘Sell in May and go away’ remains an adage, despite the sustained FPI selling in May after April, with nearly $2.8 billion of outflows,” NSE chief economist Tirthankar Patnaik wrote in a report.

The share of the number of companies with over 50,000 individual shareholders has more than doubled in the last 10 years to 45.1%, NSE data showed. While there are currently 55 companies that have over 10 lakh individual shareholders, this number was just 7 a decade ago, the report showed.

Even after this wave of individuals entering the stock market, the share of retail stock market investors at around 10% of India’s population pales when compared to the nearly 60% share in the US.

Steady rupee a positive for foreign funds

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: The relatively steady rupee over the last seven months has provided foreign investors a return that is almost on a par with local currency returns. On Dec 11, when the sensex first touched the 70,000-mark, the rupee was trading at 83.35. On Wednesday, when the sensex hit 80,000 for the first time — marking a 14.4% gain in the last seven months — the rupee ended the day at 83.53, down three paise from its previous close. This indicates that the dollar gained just over 0.2% in the past seven months.

With many anlaysts forecasting the rupee to be the best performing emerging market currency this year, the Indian markets could keep up their dollar returns in the coming months as well. A reason for the rupee’s stability despite volatile global cues is RBI’s strong hold over volatility in the exchange rate.

Tata Motors, Mahindra top sensex gainers since 40,000 pts

From P 1

Adani Ports was the top gainer in the sensex on Wednesday despite Hindenburg Research being in the news again after it repeated its allegations against the group in a reply to Sebi’s showcause notice.

Adani Ports share price rose 2.5% on Wednesday, driven by its inclusion in the benchmark index this week. The company on Tuesday had also reported a big jump in container traffic handled in its port.

“Optimism in global equities weighed positively on Indian markets, which also propelled gains in other sectoral stocks, including the telecom counters. HDFC Bank led the recovery on the back of a potential increase in the bank’s weightage in the MSCI Emerging Markets index,” said Prashanth Tapse, senior VP, Mehta Equities.

Over a 5-year period, since the sensex hit 40,000, the top sensex gainers have been Tata Motors & Mahindra, surging 426% and 358%, respectively.

“The bulls have regained control from the bears, pushing the Nifty above 24,300. This shift in sentiment has once again favoured long trades in the market. Moving forward, the trend might remain strong in the near term as long as it stays above 24,000. On the higher end, the index might move towards 24,500. However, a fall below 24,000 could lead the index into consolidation,” said Rupak De, senior technical analyst, LKP Securities.

What to buy? Keep good company, go for large caps

Aseem.Gujar@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: The sensex has recorded a new high. Should you sit back and wait for a correction? Well, as veteran investor Peter Lynch famously put it: “Far more money has been lost by investors preparing for corrections, than has been lost in corrections themselves.”

In the rear-view mirror, all past milestones like 50,000 and 75,000 look like buying opportunities (see top graphic). You would have earned double-digit returns even if you bought at earlier ‘record high’ levels.

“The market has reached at least one new all-time high every calendar year for last 8 years straight. In 2024 itself, the sensex has closed at new life-time highs 25 times. It could be intimidating to invest when markets are trading at new highs... but one would have been left out if they kept waiting for the perfect opportunity,” said Apurva Sheth, head (market perspectives & research) at Samco Securities.

The 10,000-point jump from 70k to 80k translates to 14.4% growth. The 80k-90k journey will require just 12.5% gain. Investing consistently, irrespective of new highs, remains a sensible policy.

The key question then is to what to invest in?“Valuations for large caps are more favourable as mid & small-cap valuations are ahead of their long-term averages. In the current market environment, we prefer investments in flexi-cap strategies with a large-cap bias while still allocating tactically to mid and small-caps,” said Virendra Somwanshi, head (wealth management & capital markets) at Bank of Baroda.He added that investors should invest with a horizon of more than 5 years and in a staggered approach.

Stock prices shouldn’t be seen in isolation. Their valuation, or the price that you pay for future earnings, is a key factor. “Efficiently managed companies grow more than the sensex. If demand in an economy is growing then, then well-managed companies’ profitability is likely to grow. And if profitability grows then stock prices will also grow,” said Sheth.

Another reason why investors should stay put is that the rally has global support the S&P 500 has outperformed the sensex so far in this year.

“Perhaps the most significant factor is that the rally has fundamental support. If we achieve above 7% GDP growth in FY25, India would have clocked 7% growth for 4 years in a row, making the country an outlier. Corporate earnings also are decent with FY24 Nifty earnings growing at an impressive 24%,” said V K Vijayakumar, chief investment strategist at Geojit Financial Services.

If you need reasons to worry, the major risk is high valuations in the broader market, Vijayakumar said. “Another risk is a trade war between the US and China if Donald Trump returns as US President.”

Valuations are up... will profits keep pace?

EXPERT’S TAKE

By Dinesh Balachandran

The sensex hit 80,000 intraday on Wednesday, while Nifty is well over 24,000 points. Both flagship indices have returned nearly 25% over the last one year, creating wealth for investors and making India one of the hottest markets in the world. Keeping that on one side, the market is currently trading at 24.7x trailing earnings versus a 20-year average of 20.4x (at the 88th percentile). So, what has been driving the markets and more importantly, what’s next? The superior returns were triggered by a stable macroeconomic profile, improving corporate profitability as well as strong liquidity. On the macro side, fiscal consolidation, a focus on capital spends and moderating inflation have boded well for India. The recent GDP growth print of 8.2% was also a positive surprise for market participants.

From a corporate profitability point of view, from FY18’s low of 1.3%, India’s corporate profits as % of GDP have dramatically improved to 5.5% in FY23. Liquidity has been strong too, providing a cushion to the markets. In 2023, FIIs bought $21.4 billion, while domestic institutions bought $22.3 billion. The vast improvement seen in systematic investments into mutual funds is particularly heartening. SIPs —which stood at Rs 8,500 crore in FY20 — amounted to Rs 20,900 crore in May of 2024. Even as these numbers explain what has happened in recent years, the question still remains: what now? And what next?

Equity market returns are a function of three factors: Fundamentals, valuations and sentiments.

On corporate fundamentals, India is anchored by a strong combination of macro stability and improving corporate profitability. Key macro data points like electricity generation, bank credit, GST collections and steel consumption continue to point towards a healthy business cycle. Our reading point towards a recovery in the rural sector. Consumption has been the weak link in the macro composition. The consumer confidence index is currently hovering in the neutral territory, compared to it being negative over the last few years. This points to a gradual improvement in consumption demand.

Earnings for Nifty companies are expected to grow at a CAGR of about 18% between FY23-26, pointing to a robust growth outlook. As against this positivity, one needs to consider the vitiated global geopolitical environment and the general low-growth environment prevailing in major economies.

As such, valuations are the weakest link in the equation. At the current level of valuations, corporate earnings need to surprise us in the positive direction to provide comfort, which, in the near term, is questionable. A cushion for valuations can come in the form of a moderation in bond yields. The 10-year bond yield, which was approximately 7.5% at the peak of the current cycle, is at a level marginally below 7%.

Sentiment is a contrarian factor. If the sentiment among market participants is robust, that’s a trigger for investors to be cautious. And if the sentiment is pessimistic, that’s when they would want to be more bullish. Current data from the ‘equity sentiment indicator’ shows that investor sentiment is very bullish. This warrants caution in the near term. While there’s optimism over Indian corporates’ growth prospects and their potential to deliver on earnings in the long term, current expensive valuations and elevated sentiments mean that one needs to be cautious in the near future.

(The writer is head of equity, SBI MF)

Robust growth prospects boost market sentiment

Surojit.Gupta@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: India’s solid growth amid the backdrop of global uncertainties and its emergence as the fastest-growing major economy in the world have been key factors driving market sentiment. Prospects appear bright for this growth rate to be sustained in the medium term, which has attracted the attention of investors.

Highlighting the robust acceleration in growth, RBI governor Shaktikanta Das said last month that the country is at the threshold of a major structural shift in its growth trajectory and is moving towards an annual rate of 8% growth in a sustained manner.

India’s average growth rate in the last three year is estimated at 8.1-8.3% — the highest in the Asia Pacific region. Most experts reckon that growth will exceed 7% in the short-to- medium term. Global agencies expect India’s growth rate to be around 7% for at least the next three years, driven by strong domestic demand. It is anticipated that a robust monsoon will help in the revival of rural demand, adding to overall optimism. Policy stability and expectations that reforms will continue after the swearing in of the new govt have also helped in boosting sentiment. China’s economic woes have prompted investors to look at India as a safe bet too.

“India has emerged as the fastest-growing large economy with healthy mediumterm prospects. NSO has ratcheted up the GDP growth estimate for 2023-24 to 8.2% compared to 7.3% in the first advance estimates. We expect GDP to grow at an average rate of 6.7% over the medium term,” said D K Joshi, chief economist at Crisil.

Small towns join stock party, bull run reaches Sundarbans

Divisha.Ranka@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: With their rising interest and participation in equity markets, small & semi-urban regions are becoming a big part of India’s growth story.

West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas, home to the Sundarbans yet virtually unknown to many, has been among the biggest contributors of new stock market investors since Sept 2023. While the top districts in terms of new investor registrations in May were Delhi and Mumbai, other regions like Surat, Ahmedabad and Jaipur also recorded a high volume of fresh registrations.

According to NSE, the top 10 districts contributed nearly 19.4% of new investors in May. At the state level, while Maharashtra continued to lead in terms of registered investors at 1.6 crore or 17% of total investors, Uttar Pradesh became the second state in the country to cross a crore investors. UP contributed about 11% to the investor base as against 6.1% in 2010, and has seen its share nearly quadruple since the pandemic, NSE data showed.

This surge in participation from emerging regions reflects a shift in investment patterns — from mutual funds to relatively riskier equities — and also insulated from FPIs’ pulling out of funds in recent months. Venkat Chalasani, chief executive at Amfi, attributes the rising participation by small towners to a confluence of factors. “Rising financial literacy, the vital role of AMCs and the dedicated distributor fraternity in fostering a culture of informed investing are a few drivers. The transformative impact of fintech innovations have also played an important role,” he said.

Lending by NBFCs grows 1.8% in Q4

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: Lending by NBFCs grew 1.8% year-on-year in Q4 of FY24, reflecting a moderation that was induced by RBI. In November 2023, RBI made bank lending to NBFCs more expensive by increasing risk weightage for some segments.

The segments where sanctions dropped from Q4 last year included equipment financing, which was down 40%, gold loans (down 18%) and lease finance (down 48%). According to data by FIDC and CRIF, loans sanctioned in Q4FY24 were up 2.6% quarter on quarter. However, this is not comparable because sanctions tend to peak in the fourth quarter and 2.6% QoQ growth was lower than earlier years.

Job creation in services sector fastest in 22 mths

New Delhi: Activity in the country’s services sector recovered in June on the back of solid global orders, triggering the fastest upturn in job creation in 22 months, a survey showed on Wednesday.

Rising from 60.2 in May to 60.5 in June, the HSBC India services business activity index pointed to a sharp expansion in output and the pace of increase was quicker than in May and above its long-run average. The 50-point mark separates expansion from contraction in the survey, which is compiled from responses to questionnaires sent to about 400 companies.

TNN

Funding to startups rises 45% to $3.2bn

Asmita.Dey@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: Helped by a revival in late-stage deals, startup funding is gaining pace. Investors infused $3.2 billion into companies in April-June quarter, translating into a 45% growth on a year-on-year basis. This also compares with $1.9 billion in funding that startups garnered in March quarter, data sourced from market intelligence platform Tracxn showed. Investments through first half of year totalled $5.1 billion, almost unchanged over same period last year in an indication that funding momentum has at least sustained and not declined.

After more than a year of slowdown, large funding deals are back on the table, with quick commerce startup Zepto bagging $665 million from investors at a valuation of $3.6 billion in the year’s biggest funding round so far. PhonePe had raised $850 million in tranches through January May last year from investors, including parent Walmart.

Report: India 5th in GenAI inventions

Rupali.Mukherjee@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: India has emerged as the fifth biggest location for GenAI invention, with domestic inventors having filed 1,350 patents globally on generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), according to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

The list was led by China, which filed over 38,000 GenAI patents, far outpacing inventors in the US (6,276), Republic of Korea (4,155), Japan (3,409), and India. The WIPO Patent Landscape Report released on Wednesday captures patenting activity and scientific publications in the field of GenAI, over a near 10-year period.

India also witnessed highest average growth rate globally at 56% over 2014-2023 period. There were 9 patent publications in 2014 that surged to 487 in 2023 for GenAI inventions from India.

Ex-RBI guv Patel joins Britannia board

Mumbai: Britannia Industries has appointed former RBI governor Urjit Patel to company's board. The decision was made during the board meeting held on 2nd July 2024. The board approved the appointment of Patel and Sunil Siddharth Lalbhai, chairman, Atul as additional non-executive independent directors. The appointments are effective from 2nd July 2024 and will continue for five years .

TNN

Need to further boost governance, says Das

Enhance Risk Management Practices, Compliance Culture, RBI Guv Tells Banks

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: After repeated statements, which expressed concern over credit growth outpacing deposit accretion, RBI governor Shaktikanta Das decided to raise the issue in a one-on-one meeting with bank chiefs on Wednesday. The central bank chief also discussed with banks the progress they have made in dealing with cyber frauds and the quality of unsecured loans advanced directly and in partnership with finance companies.

Das met MDs and CEOs of public sector banks and select private sector banks in Mumbai. The meeting included deputy governors M Rajeshwar Rao and Swaminathan J, along with executive directors responsible for regulation and supervision.

Das observed ongoing improvements in banks’ as- set quality, loan provisioning, capital adequacy and profitability. He acknowledged increased resilience and strength of the banking sector but stressed upon the need to further enhance governance standards, risk management practices, and compliance culture in banks.

Das also emphasised on the importance of robust cybersecurity controls and effective management of third-party risks. He urged banks to increase efforts against ‘mule accounts’ and to intensify customer awareness and education initiatives to combat digital fraud.

Besides regulatory issues, RBI also discussed with banks opportunities to increase usage of rupee for cross-border transactions and increase banks’ participation in innovation initiatives of the central bank, such as the central bank digital currency.

Koo, desi rival of Twitter, closes ops on funding woes

TIMESNEWSNETWORK

New Delhi: Koo, which was once touted as a locally-developed desi alternative to global micro-blogging giant Twitter (that had been having frequent run-ins with govt over content moderation), is shutting down operations.

The alternate social media platform, which was also adopted whole-heartedly by govt, ministers and ministries after Twitter (now called X) had refused to accept every content takedown request from ministries (especially at the height of farmers agitation against three farm laws), said it is closing shop after failing to get investors that would helped it stay afloat.

Koo was originally launched in 2020, but its popularity soared around 2021 after nagging differences between govt and Twitter. Back then, amid growing calls for expanding the ecosystem of homegrown digital platforms, several Union ministers, politicians and government departments had signed up on Koo.

In the days of its heady growth, Koo snapped up about 2.1 million daily active users and about 10 million monthly active users, and had marquee investors like Tiger Global, Accel, 3one4 Capital, and Kalaari Capital backing it. However, prolonged funding winter and failed acquisition talks took a toll on the platform which later struggled with dwindling user base and resorted to layoffs, last year.

In a post on LinkedIn on Wednesday, co-founders Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka an- nounced that the platform will be discontinuing its services to the public and that the little yellow bird is bidding a final goodbye (a reference to Koo’s logo).

“We explored partnership with multiple larger internet companies, conglomerates and media houses but these talks didn’t yield the outcome we wanted,” the two co-founders wrote. Flagging the unsuccessful attempts at partnerships, the co-founders said, while most did not want to deal with user-generated content and the wild nature of a social media company, a couple of them changed priority almost close to signing.

The duo said they would have liked to keep the app running but “cost of technology services to keep social media app running is high” and hence “tough decision”.

‘Reduce friction around ease of doing business’

Integrating Indian Eco Into A Single Mkt Will Be Huge Benefit: IMF Chief Economist

Sidhartha & Surojit Gupta TNN

IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas is optimistic about India’s growth prospects. In an interview to TOI, Gourinchas talks about a range of issues, from raising productivity to bridging inequality through a billionaire tax, and impact of AI on jobs. Excerpts:

How do you view India’s growth rate since there is a view that it is getting carried away?

India has been doing quite well. In 2023-24, growth was stronger than expected. The World Economic Outlook projection for this year is around 6.8%. India can continue to grow around 6.5% in the medium term. These are very, very solid growth numbers. It’s much easier for a smaller country to generate high growth, but for an economy of India’s size, it is pretty impressive.

India wants to grow at 8-10% for a sustained period. Is that possible in current global context?

A number of things need to be done to grow at a much faster rate. There is a question of how quickly you can mobilise labour inputs. If you want to grow faster, and you want it to be sustainable, you have to increase productivity. You cannot do it just by having more workers and more capital — that gives you a shot in the arm, but it doesn’t lead to sustained growth. To increase productivity, you have to reduce any frictions around the ease of doing business, investing and innovating. India has a relatively high growth rate, but it’s starting at a fairly low per capita income compared to some other Asian economies. Another way to achieve higher productivity is improvements on the technology frontier. The hard way is to reinvent the wheel, which takes time. The other way is to learn as much as you can from foreign technology. External openness is very important as FDI brings plant and technology. Third part of productivity improvement is skilling the labour force. India has a very skilled layer of workers, but it can do better. There are also reforms of the large domestic markets as it can be a good training ground for making sure that there is innovation and competition, that firms are not protected in a way that allows them to be inefficient, that there is enough competition domestically. Labour is another advantage for India because of the demographic dividend. A first order task is making sure the educational system, vocational training are at scale so that you can bring a lot of workers who are not in the labour force and you can reduce informality. Digitalisation will also be helpful.

On debate over manufacturing or services...

Why do you have to choose? I understand you have a budget for doing various things, do you do production-linked incentives or something else. There is room for merchandise exports to grow as India is fairly low on that front. It is important to make sure that you have firms that are competing and are able to come down the cost curve. Here, the role of the domestic market is very important. China implemented an export-oriented strategy but was in part driven by a very high level of competition in the domestic market, which to some extent was protected from abroad. Fierce competition between Chinese firms forced them to improve and become better and then engage in global markets. Integrating the Indian economy into a single market will be a huge benefit. On top of that, you can push exports of services by training a large number of skilled Indian workers in STEM, computer science.

How to create more jobs?

There’s a bit of a false dichotomy. At the end of the day, productivity always creates jobs. Initially, you may for instance, think about improving productivity in the farming sector. It’s very likely that productivity gains are going to release labour into other sectors of the economy. That’s something that should be welcomed. The question is more about ensuring social safety nets and dealing with retraining, giving pathways to the young to get them jobs that have higher earning potential.

How serious is AI threat?

India is one of the countries we looked at using micro data. One dimension is exposure of jobs to AI, which is low. It reflects the high share of farming in employment. The second dimension is when you look at those that are exposed, the question is if AI is going to replace them or AI is going to enhance what they’re doing? AI is not an opportunity for enough people in India, but for those who are exposed to AI, more of them are in the good category. To build on that you would want deployment of AI, development of AI and training as a lot of workers in that space can benefit. This points to opportunities. The danger is if AI moves faster than India getting ready to embrace it.

PM cites 10 Prez rule spells in Manipur to attack oppn

Strife In State Predates Our Govt: Modi

More than 11,000 FIRs had been registered and over 500 arrests made in connection with the violence in Manipur, Modi said

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: PM Modi on Wednesday said the problems in Manipur predate his tenure and that the central and state govts were doing their best to restore normalcy and peace in the state.

“Those who know the history of Manipur understand that the state has a long history of social conflict. The roots of this conflict run very deep and it has affected the psyche of people there... Congress should not forget that because of these reasons, such a small state has had 10 spells of President’s rule so far. Obviously, there must have been some problems, and these predate our govt,” he said in Rajya Sabha.

He added that ethnic violence had broken out in 1993 as well and convulsed the state for five years.

Although the PM did not mention Congress or its members, the remark appeared to be a rebuttal of the opposition party’s charge. On Tuesday, Congress had heckled the PM in Lok Sabha through his speech by citing alleged indifference towards the northeastern state.

Modi forcefully addressed the criticism, saying more than 11,000 FIRs had been registered and more than 500 arrests made in connection with the violence, emphasising that the numbers were huge, considering the size of the state. He also said efforts were under way to repair ties and authorities were engaged in the tough task of restoring communication among the smallest of social units.

He sought to remind the House that he had addressed the issue in the last session of Parliament as well, and recalled the three-day visit of home minister Amit Shah to the state just after the outbreak of violence. “Nothing of this kind had happened under any other govt,” Modi said in what appeared to be a reference to the inability of home ministers under Congress govts to visit Manipur during previous instances of strife.

Modi also referred to former minister of state for home Nityanand Rai spending weeks in the state in the immediate aftermath of the conflict between two ethnic groups and the efforts being made by authorities to restore normalcy. “Today, two units of NDRF have been sent to Manipur to help with flood relief. This shows that Centre and the state govt are working in coordination,” Modi said.

‘Throughout night, saw bodies brought in tempos, even trucks’

 Continued from P1

Bhoop Singh, a resident of Bahjoi, had come to attend the satsang of Surajpal Singh, also known as Bhole Baba and Narayan Saakar Hari, with his nine-yearold daughter. He said, “There was already a large crowd when the prayer meeting started and then it quickly began to swell. She could have been swept anywhere with the force of the crowd. Even men were unable to bear that (pressure).”

Another man, Rajesh Yadav, a resident of Etah, looked around for his mother Uma Devi (65), who had come with a‘sangat’ (group of women) to attend the satsang. “She was staying in a tent near the venue,” Yadav wept.

“My mother doesn’t have a phone,” he said desperately. “By around 8pm, we reached Sikandra Rau where the event was being held. Cries of death and chaos filled the air amid the sirens of ambulances and police vehicles ferrying the injured and dead. I went to a hospital and just sat down on the floor after I saw a huge pile of bodies. What should I do now?”

Through the night, a TOI team saw bodies being brought in tempos and even trucks. People checked the corpses in the hope of identifying their kin. Yadav told this correspondent that he had inspected almost a hundred dead faces. “I still can’t find my mother.”

Many of the victims were first brought to Sikandra Rau’s combined health centre. From there, a large group was shifted to other hospitals in Hathras, Aligarh, Etah and Kasganj. In most cases, without informing their families.

Some distance away, Aligarh resident Kuldeep Kumar told TOI that his 32-year-old wife and five-year-old daughter are nowhere to be found. “I went to the hospital. Nothing there for me,” he said, as others hunting for their kin tried to give him confidence. At least five bodies were discovered in the bushes early on Wednesday, they said.

Mistaken for terrorists, bearded BSF men in military fatigues spark scare in Pathankot

Pathankot: A couple of bearded men and a clean-shaven companion, all clad in military fatigues, were seen sipping soda water at a roadside vendor in Pathankot, a garrison town near the Pakistan border, reports Yudhvir Rana. This sighting caused alarm among locals due to a recent alert after two suspected Pakistani terrorists, with covered faces and backpacks, allegedly arrived at a nearby farmhouse demanding food from migrant labourers present there.

The farmhouse episode prompted security forces to conduct search operations fearing that terrorists fleeing from J&K might have reached Pathankot. When residents spotted the three “suspicious looking” men early this week, panic ensued. Photos taken by onlookers quickly circulated on social media, going viral by Wednesday and prompting widespread fear and heightened security measures.

BSF also took note of the images and conducted an investigation. A senior BSF officer, who chose to remain anonymous, clarified that the men were in fact BSF troopers and were stationed at high-altitude posts along LoC in J&K.

The officer explained that “soldiers in such locations often grow beards to conserve water (shaving) and protect their faces from the harsh cold and winds”.

NHRM scam: Shooter gets life terms for killing CMOs 13 yrs ago

Lucknow : ACBI court handed concurrent life sentences Wednesday to the hired shooter convicted last week of murdering two chief medical officers of UP months apart 13 years ago, leading to the unravelling of the National Rural Health Mission scam that triggered the fall of the then Mayawatiled BSP govt, reports Pathikrit Chakraborty . Anand Prakash Tiwari, whose declaration of “kaam ho gaya (work is done)” during phone calls to an intermediary had been cited as evidence in the case, shot and killed Dr V K Arya at Lucknow’s Vikas Nagar in Oct 2010 and Dr B P Singh at Gomtinagar in April 2011.

Special judge Anurodh Mishra sentenced Tiwari to life imprisonment separately for the twin murders under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC and the Arms Act. The court also fined him Rs 58,000.

Two other accused, Ram Krishna Verma and Vinod Sharma, were acquitted for want of evidence in June 28 verdict. They were asked to deposit sureties of Rs 1 lakh each under Section 437A of CrPC, meant to ensure they appear before a higher court if someone appeals their acquittal.

Arya was the CMO of family welfare when he was targeted at the behest of then Lucknow deputy CMO Dr Y S Sachan, who died under mysterious circumstancesin 2011.

CBI took over the investigation on the orders of Allahabad HC. The CBI chargesheet said the murders were part of a cover-up for the scam. According to the prosecution, Sachan hired shooters Tiwari and Sharma through Verma to kill his two colleagues.

TOI EXPLAINS

TWO MURDERS THAT SHOOK UP 13 YEARS AGO

Pathikrit.Chakraborty

With a special CBI court awarding on Tuesday a life term to Anand Prakash Tiwari for the murders of two chief medical officers (CMOs) in Lucknow 13 years ago, the spotlight is back on the NRHM scam which ultimately became one of the reasons for the fall of the then Mayawati-led BSP govt. The two CMOs had been shot while on morning walks by Tiwari and his men. Both murders were linked to the NRHM scam.

THE SCAM

The UPA-1 government launched the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) on April 12, 2005 to provide quality healthcare to the rural population. Rampant irregularities in it simple mentation were revealed when BSP was in govt in Uttar Pradesh between 2007 and 2012. According to the CBI, which is investigating on the Allahabad high court’s orders, over Rs 5,700 crore disbursed to 72 chief medical officers (CMOs) in UP through the NRHM was siphoned off. The CAG report says that between April 2005 and March 2011 the State Health Mission, responsible for implementing NRHM schemes, “did not discharge its responsibilities adequately, resulting in Rs 5,754 crore going unaccounted for”.

TWO MURDERS THAT BLEW THE LID OFF THE SCAM

Two murders put the spotlight on the scam. On Oct 27, 2010 Lucknow CMO Dr Vinod Arya was shot dead by motorcycle borne assailants in Lucknow. Six months later, on April 2, 2011, another CMO, Dr BP Singh, was killed in similar fashion in the city. The police subsequently arrested deputy CMO Dr Y S Sachan in connection with Singh’s murder. But on June 22, 2011 Sachan was found dead in mysterious circumstances in Lucknow jail. This led to a public outcry over alleged corruption in the NRHM. The then Mayawati govt referred the case to the CBI in July 2011. Meanwhile, a petition was filed in the Al- lahabad high court which in Nov that year ordered a wider probe by the CBI.

THE CBI PROBE

The CBI formed a special team which arrested the then family welfare minister, Babu Singh Kushwaha, and UP principal secretary (health and family welfare) Pradeep Shukla for alleged roles in the scam. It also raided more than 100 places across UP and questioned hundreds of people in connection with the scam. Many CMOs, along with about 40 govt doctors, were detained, questioned, arrested and suspended. Owners of 200 firms supplying drugs, instruments and construction material too were questioned. The CBI has so far registered 74 cases and filed 65 chargesheets, according to sources. The CBI probe has been followed by investigations by the Enforcement Directorate which has registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and attached properties of various accused, including Kushwaha.

CURIOUS CASE OF DR SACHAN

On April 4, 2011 Lucknow deputy CMO Dr Sachan was arrested. Officers investigating the murders of the two CMOs began to suspect him in the course of their probe. Police claimed he had hatched a conspiracy to eliminate Dr Singh as he had ordered a probe against him. Dr Sachan was found dead in Lucknow jail on June 22, 2011, a day before a scheduled court ap- pearance. The state govt initially claimed it was suicide but his family alleged foul play, suspecting he had been murdered to prevent him from exposing those who had “framed” him. A judicial inquiry by the Lucknow CJM concluded that it was homicide. The Allahabad HC then ordered the CBI to investigate Dr Sachan’s death. In Sept 2012, the CBI filed a closure report saying it was suicide due to hanging, which was corroborated by opinion from AIIMS doctors. Despite protests by Dr Sachan’s widow, Malti Sachan, and subsequent court orders for further investigation, the CBI filed another closure report in Aug 2017 stating there was no evidence of homicide. Malti Sachan persisted, filing a complaint in Nov 2019 that included testimonies and autopsy reports. A lower court rejected the closure report but the HC upheld it in 2023. However, the case remains unresolved.

PHONE CALLS NAILED THE SHOO TER

A senior officer privy to the probe disclosed that Dr YS Sachan had hired two shooters, AP Tewari and Vinod Sharma, with the help of one RK Verma to eliminate Arya and Singh as they had started ordering probes in the NRHM scam. Police say Tiwari, after eliminating both CMOs, had made a phone call to RK Verma saying “Kaam Ho gaya (The job has been done)”. Call detail record analysis proved that Tiwari had been at the crime scene. Forensic evidence also showed that the weapon recovered from Tiwari was used to shoot and kill the two CMOs.

Times Sport

- THE SAUDI ANGLE

- COSTA RICA OUT DESPITE BEATING PARAGUAY 2-1

- Why can’t we beat England? Swiss coach in ‘mood’ to walk the talk

- OF WOLVES AND EAGLES

- Victorious Turkiye snatch ‘dark horses’ tag from Austria

- Dorival urges Brazil to stick to process

- GEORGIA FANS GREET RETURNING PLAYERS WITH RALLY

- GERMAN POLICE PROBE VIDEO OF STEWARDS BEATING FAN

- THE BALL IS NOT ALWAYS ROUND

- GALLERY

- Setback for Lakshya as he fails to get Canadian visa

- IT’S COMING HOME!

- How Air India operated the special flight for Team India from Barbados

- PCB plans India-Pak CT match on Mar 1

- Govt opens coffers, it’s time for Indian shoot ers to shine in Paris

- Medvedev recovers to beat MullerMedvedev recovers to beat Muller

- Gauff takes spotlight and place in Round 3

- India’s kabaddi teams barred from international participation

- Nagal bows out in the first round of doubles

- Hardik first Indian to get top spot in T20I allrounders’ rankings

THE SAUDI ANGLE

IVAN SCHRANZ

Turkey centre-back Merih Demiral, man of the match in the Round-of-16 win over Austria, scored the second-fastest goal ever at the Euros after just 57 seconds, and added another one in the 59th minute. He is one of 14 players from the Saudi Pro League playing in the Euros, the cash-rich league being the biggest source of players outside Europe. “People have prejudices towards the league. Every league has its level. The rhythm is similar,” Spain’s Aymeric Laporte, 30, said, comparing it to the other leagues. There are a few examples to prove this point...

KANTE LEADS THE WAY

France’s N’Golo Kante, 33, had looked to be winding down his glittering career but his unexpected recall for Euro 2024 and eye-popping performances suggest his quality has not been diminished by his big-bucks move to Saudi Arabia last year. He is among several players in Germany challenging popular perceptions that the new Saudi Pro League is a career-ending option for big players seduced by huge salaries. Kante won player of the match in his first two games. World Cup winner Kante, 33, has demonstrated no loss of pace, agility or fitness, creating the most chances for the French team, according to Opta data, and covering the third-longest distance. He was France’s second-quickest player in their first match behind only Kylian Mbappe.

THE RONALDO FACTOR

Cristiano Ronaldo, at 39, is the poster boy of the Saudi league and after 18 months at Al Nassr remains the linchpin of the Portugal team. Ronaldo lasted 120 minutes plus shootout during the Round of 16 game against Slovenia, although he missed a penalty, and couldn’t make the most of several chances. He was on target in the shootout, though.

JOINT TOP

Slovakia forward Ivan Schranz took his Euro 2024 tally to three goals with his effort in his team’s round of 16 loss to England, joining Netherlands’ Cody Gakpo, Germany’s Jamal Musiala, and Georgia’s Georges Mikautadze at the top of the scoring charts.

FITNESS HIGH

The Saudi-based players do not appear to be lacking fitness, according to UEFA statistics. Al Nassr’s Marcelo Brozovic was second for Croatia in terms of speed and distance run, while Nicolae Stanciu, 31, who joined Damac FC last year, has covered the most distance for Romania. Serbia’s Sergej MilenkovicSavic of Al Hilal topped the chart in the first round of matches by running 13.9 km against England.

LEAGUES WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF PLAYERS AT EURO 2024

The Saudi league is the biggest source of players at this Euro outside of Europe, with 14 making it to their national squads. MLS comes 2nd with eight.

CRISTIANO RONALDO

N’GOLO KANTE

COSTA RICA OUT DESPITE BEATING PARAGUAY 2-1

Austin: Costa Rica was eliminated from the Copa America despite beating Paraguay 2-1 as Francisco Calvo and 19-year-old Josimar Alcócer scored in the opening seven minutes.

Costa Rica finished third in Group D with four points when Colombia and Brazil played a 1-1 draw. The Brazilians took second place with five points.

Paraguay had been eliminated when it lost its first two match- es. The Ticos were eliminated in the group stage for the fourth time after 1997, 2011 and 2016. They reached the quarterfinals in 2001 and 2004.

Calvo was left wide open in front of the net to head home Joseph Mora’s bending cross in the third minute. Four minutes later, Alcócer dribbled from near midfield and slotted a shot from distance past a diving Rodrigo Morinigo. Those were Costa Rica’s only two shots on goal. Paraguay held possession for a majority of the second half and Ramon Sosa scored his first international goal in the 55th. AGENCIES

Why can’t we beat England? Swiss coach in ‘mood’ to walk the talk

MORE TO COME: Coach Murat Yakin with defender Manuel Akanji

Dusseldorf: Having denied hosts Germany a perfect record and eliminated holders Italy, Switzerland are in the right mood to beat England too at Euro 2024, their coach Murat Yakin said on Wednesday.

England have big players capable of making a difference in a major tournament, but they should be ready for a battle with a team playing good football and full of spirit, Yakin said ahead of Saturday’s quarter-final in Duesseldorf.

“We played against Germany we were good, we played against Italy, also a big team, and why can’t we beat England?” he said. “We’re in a good mood now. Let’s see, it’s a good challenge and my team is ready to have this big fight against England.”

Pre-tournament favourites England have much to prove after a string of below-par performances that have left fans questioning whether they are capable of the turnaround needed to counter a confident and organised Swiss side.

Yakin was in England manager Gareth Southgate’s shoes last year when he was criticised over his tactics and poor performances during qualification, where the Swiss scraped through from one of the easiest groups after leaking several late goals against weaker opponents.

His fortunes have changed at Euro 2024, however, with Yakin praised at home for astute modifications to his tactics and team selection, while maintaining a solid defence and attacking focus. He said he empathised with Southgate over the pressure he was under. “Of course, when you have big players and can choose from many players and leave at home some good players and you don’t get a result, in UK you have these problems,” he said.

“I know this myself from last year a little bit, just focus on the football game, not what we read in the newspapers, that’s the only thing we can do as a coach.”

England striker Ivan Toney, meanwhile, said the Three Lions must seize the second chance handed to them at Euro 2024 by a remarkable late fightback against Slovakia to reach the quarter-finals. Toney admitted he was livid when manager Gareth Southgate sent him on in the 94th minute in the match. But the 28-year-old knew that to make his mark, he had to keep his composure -and it paid off.

The striker credited Michael Caulfield, one of the UK’s leading sports psychologists who works with his club Brentford, for helping him deal with his anger. “He’s always talking about controlling your emotions and in that moment yes I’m annoyed, but there’s still five minutes of football to play,” Toney said. AGENCIES

OF WOLVES AND EAGLES

Turkish Player Demiral’s Right-Wing ‘Wolf Salute’ Goal Celebration Sparks Furore

Berlin/Istanbul: UEFA opened an investigation on Wednesday into a “wolf salute” goal celebration by Turkiye centre back Merih Demiral which Germany condemned as racist due to its far right associations.

The 26-year-old defender mimicked the shape of a wolf’s head with his fingers after his second goal in Turkiye’s stunning 2-1 win over Austria in the last-16 of Euro 2024.

The gesture is linked to the “Grey Wolves”, an ultra-nationalist youth branch of Turkiye’s Nationalist Movement Party, an ally of president Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party.

“The symbols of Turkish right-wing extremists have no place in our stadiums,” Germany’s interior minister Nancy Faeser said in a post on X. “Using the European Football Championship as a platform for racism is completely unacceptable.”

Established in the 1960s, the “Grey Wolves” were involved in political violence between leftists and nationalists that killed some 5,000 people around the time of a 1980 coup.

The group is outlawed in France and, according to media, its symbol is banned in Austria. The “Grey Wolves” are also under surveillance in Germany, Faeser added.

UEFA said it would look into “the alleged inappropriate behaviour” of Demiral. It has been cracking down on misconduct during the tournament, banning Albania’s Mirlind Daku for two games after he led fans in offensive chants, and investigating England’s Jude Bellingham for a crotch-grabbing gesture.

Turkiye’s foreign ministry said UEFA’s probe was unacceptable and that German authorities’ approach to Demiral “involved xenophobia”. “We condemn the politically-motivated reactions to the use of a historical and cultural symbol, in a way that does not target anyone, during the celebrations of joy at a sporting event,” it said.

The ministry also summoned Germany’s ambassador to Ankara over the dispute, a Turkish diplomatic source said.

In Turkiye, youth and sports minister Osman Askin Bak said the furore was exaggerated. “There’s no need to write at length (about this)...” Bak wrote on X above a photo of Demiral making the gesture.

In Turkey, the ruling AK party and its MHP ally both defended Demiral and said the backlash was out of proportion. AK party spokesperson Omer Celik said those worried about racism and fascism should focus on recent elections around the continent where the far right has been on the rise. REUTERS

THE LAW

According to ‘Article 16 Order and Security at UEFA Competition Matches’ of UEFA’s own regulations, they prohibit “the use of gestures, words, objects, or any other means to transmit a provocative message that is not fit for a sports event, particularly provocative messages that are of political, ideological, religious or offensive nature”.

WHY ARE PEOPLE UNHAPPY WITH THE GESTURE?

Among the paramilitary Gray Wolves’ prime targets are non-Turkish ethnic minorities such as Kurds, Greeks, and Armenians. Members are said to be often involved in attacks and clashes with Kurdish and leftist activists. The group was established in the late 1960s and became prominent amid political violence in the late 1970s.

Victorious Turkiye snatch ‘dark horses’ tag from Austria

Leipzig: Turkiye wrested the dark horses tag from Austria’s grasp in a pulsating Euro 2024 last-16 match on Tuesday, sparking celebrations in Turkish communities around the world, even as far away as Toronto.

Merih Demiral scored both goals in the 2-1 full-throttle victory that injected Turkish fans with hope of another long Euros run after their narrow 3-2 loss in the 2008 semi-finals.

However giants the Netherlands, 3-0 winners over Romania in Tuesday’s early last-16 game, stand in their way.

Demiral’s two goals came from Arda Guler corners.

A hailstorm of bottles and cups rained down at the 19-yearold Real Madrid midfielder’s feet when he set up to take the second corner and, after the goal, Guler turned to the Austria fans and icily pointed one finger to his ear.

On a night Turkiye were missing captain Hakan Calhanoglu to suspension, Guler’s fearlessness was remarkable. His sliding through ball set up the corner that led to Demiral’s first goal before the game was a minute old. Clocked at 57 seconds, it was the fastest goal of a Euros knockout game.

Guler, one of Europe’s brightest young stars and the first Turkish player to win the Champions League trophy last season, quarter-backed Turkey all night and nearly scored with a brazen shot from 50 metres with Aus- tria’s keeper far out of his goal.

“He worked for the team and ran like I’ve never seen him run in his career,” Turkey manager Vincenzo Montella said. “We still know he needs to mature physically, especially given his young age, so I compliment him.”

Turkiye goalkeeper Mert Gunok put an exclamation point on the full-throttle night with one of the tournament’s top saves, stretching with lightning quick reflexes to palm away Christoph Baumgartner’s header that looked destined for the net.

Austria forward Michael Gregoritsch described it as one of the best saves he had ever seen. “You have to give credit to the Turkish goalkeeper because I think it was extremely difficult to stop. Unbelievable,” Gregoritsch said.

Austria coach Ralf Rangnick was asked if the save reminded him of England keeper Gordon Banks’ famous stop to deny Pele at the 1970 World Cup. “True,” he replied, then added that had the ball gone in his squad would have gone on to win. “(But) with Gordon Banks in goal, that was the last chance that we had.”

The atmosphere inside Leipzig’s stadium was electric on Tuesday. Turkey’s matches have been like home games in Germany, where an estimated three million people with Turkish roots live. Tuesday’s match was the only one in the round of 16 not shown on free TV in Germany, prompting outrage from Turkish fans.

Turkiye, a team that always arrives at major tournaments with high hopes only to crash out, advanced out of the Euro group stage for the third time. They play the Netherlands in the quarterfinals in Berlin on Saturday. REUTERS

Dorival urges Brazil to stick to process

Selecao Advance Despite 1-1 Draw With Colombia; Vinicius Booked Out Of Quarters

Colombia goalkeeper Camilo Vargas saves Eder Militao’s shot

Santa Clara: Brazil must keep focusing on the basics and move one step at a time, coach Dorival Jr said after his side progressed to the Copa America quarterfinals following their 1-1 draw with Colombia on Tuesday. Brazil went ahead in the 12th minute when Raphinha launched a left-footed free kick into the top corner. Daniel Munoz scored the equaliser during first-half stoppage time

Dorival, who took over in January and only coached four games before the Copa America, led his team into the last eight as runnersup behind Colombia in Group D with five points from three matches.

However, the nine-times champions, who drew 0-0 with Costa Rica in their opener, could have had an even more convincing group campaign had they been more clinical.

“It’s a process, nobody skips stages, you don’t get from A to F without going through B,” Dorival said. “There will be matches like Costa Rica, good moments like Paraguay (4-1 win), not so good against Colombia. I hope the team continues to grow in the basics. The results will show us mistakes, successes and flaws.

“It’s natural in the formation of any group. We’ve had some great days of preparation, but not enough for us to have a team that has all the details nailed down and doesn’t suffer at any time.”

Brazil next face Uruguay in a mouth-watering clash on Saturday when they will be without winger Vinicius Jr, who received his second yellow card of the group stage for a foul on James Rodriguez on Tuesday. Dorival said Brazil would have to learn how to play without their star players.

“Unfortunately, we have already lost a key player like Neymar for a long time,” he said.

“And we have to learn that in certain moments, we will not have important players in a game. Others will have to step up. And I think that is the way. We will have a difficult game against Uruguay.” AGENCIES

GEORGIA FANS GREET RETURNING PLAYERS WITH RALLY

Tbilisi: Thousands of jubilant Georgia fans packed into the central square of the country’s capital Tbilisi on Tuesday to welcome the national soccer team home from Euro 2024 after a thrilling campaign on their major tournament debut.

The players drove through Tbilisi in an open-top bus to cheers and applause before mounting a stage alongside the country’s president and prime minister in front of thousands in Tbilisi’s Freedom Square.

GERMAN POLICE PROBE VIDEO OF STEWARDS BEATING FAN

Frankfurt: German police are investigating a video appearing to show stadium personnel viciously beating a fan during the Portugal v Slovenia Euro 2024 match.

The video shows a man in a steward’s top repeatedly hitting someone in the face as colleagues restrain him in a Frankfurt Arena gangway. Two others kick and beat the man further when he falls to the floor.

THE BALL IS NOT ALWAYS ROUND

FOOTBALL HAS OFTEN PROVED A PLATFORM FOR POLITICAL CONTROVERSY. A FEW INSTANCES...

GRANIT XHAKA

1938: England players and the Nazi salute

An hour prior to a 1938 international match between Germany and England in Berlin, English players were informed they had to give Nazi salutes in pre-match rituals. All but one English player complied with German instructions to give the Nazi salute. Stan Cullis, the exception who went on to become a successful manager at Wolverhampton Wanderers, was dropped before the kickoff.

2005: Paolo Di Canio salute

It was January of 2005 and Lazio had just beaten Roma 3-1 in the “Derby della Capitale”. Then, Paolo Di Canio saluted the Curva Nord in a very deliberate and particular manner arm straight out, palm down, around head height. Di Canio explained in a postmatch interview that “the salute is aimed at my people” and when questioned about whether the salute had Nazi or racist meaning behind it, he replied; “I am a fascist, not a racist”.

2019: Turkey military salute

In Oct of 2019, Turkey came away with an impressive four points from a Euro 2020 qualification double-header; a win at home to Albania followed by a draw in Paris. The fixtures coincided with a Turkish incursion against Kurdish forces along the Turkey-Syria border, known as Operation Peace Spring. The Turkish squad, to show their support for the troops, were pictured doing a military-style salute after a goal versus Albania. The official Turkish FA Twitter account also posted a photo, dedicating the win to “our brave soldiers and fellow martyrs”.

2018: Old Balkan dispute and the Albanian eagle

Serbia does not recognise Kosovo’s independence and relations between the two countries remain tense. Switzerland’s Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri are of Albanian-Kosovan heritage. Both players celebrated their goals in a World Cup match when Switzerland beat Serbia 2-1 in Kaliningrad. The players joined their hands together to form what appeared to be a double-headed eagle that is portrayed on the Albanian flag. Both ethnically Kosovar Albanians fled to Switzerland as refugees in the 1990s to escape the war with Serbia. FIFA charged and fined Xhaka and Shaqiri because its disciplinary code prohibits “provoking the general public.”

XHERDAN SHAQIRI

GALLERY

Gill-led Team India lands in Harare

Harare: Ayoung Indian cricket team led by skipper Shubman Gill and with National Cricket Academy chief VVS Laxman as coach arrived here to play a five-match T20 International series against Zimbabwe beginning July 6. The team was seen exiting the airport with their luggage in a video posted by Zimbabwe Cricket on X. The entire squad had departed from Mumbai on Tuesday, while Gill, who was a travelling reserve with the T20 World Cup side in the Americas, arrived here from New York after abreak. “We welcome T20 World Cup champions India,” wrote ZC on Tuesday night in a post on ‘X’. Young top-order batter Riyan Parag, who will be making his India debut in the series, said in a video posted by BCCI that he had a childhood dream of travelling like this (with the national side).

‘Taskin was dropped from India match after missing team bus’: Bangladesh allegedly dropped vice-captain Taskin Ahmed from the crucial Super Eights clash against India at the T20 World Cup as he overslept and missed the team bus, a claim the pacer refuted, stating it was for team combination reasons. “I was a little late, but I reached at the ground before the toss,” ESPN Cricinfo quoted Taskin as saying to Dhaka-based newspaper Ajker Patrika. “I arrived at the ground around 30-40 minutes before the toss. I missed the team bus. The bus left the hotel at 8.35am.”

Pragg draws with Bogdan-Daniel in Superbet Classic chess: R Praggnanandhaa was held to a draw by lowest ranked Deac Bogdan-Daniel of Romania in the sixth round of the Superbet Classic tournament, a part of the grand chess tour here. Iranian-French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja shined with his moves against Wesley So of the United States. With the World Championship on his mind, India’s D Gukesh seemed to keep in reserve his real weapons and signed for peace with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France.

Jamshedpur, Shillong to be new venues for Durand Cup: Domestic season opener Durand Cup football tournament will be held from July 27 to August 31 across four venues with Indian Super League, I-League and other invitational teams competing in it. The 133rd edition of the Asia's oldest tournament will have 43 matches to be played in a round-robin league-cum-knockout format, with the opening match and the final scheduled at the iconic Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata.

Boycott reveals second cancer diagnosis: Geoffrey Boycott has been diagnosed with throat cancer for the second time and will undergo surgery, the England cricket great announced Tuesday. Boycott, 83, was told last week the cancer had returned, having been previously treated for the illness in 2002 with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

AGENCIES

ACTION TODAY

BADMINTON: Canada Open, 9.30 pm (Jiocinema)

CYCLING: Tour de France, Stage 6, 7 pm (Eurosport)

TENNIS: Wimbledon, 3.30 pm (Star Sports)

Setback for Lakshya as he fails to get Canadian visa

Shuttler Forced To Pull Out Of Canadian Open Where He Was The Defending Champion

Along with Lakshya, World No. 35 Kiran George and Lakshya’s father DK Sen, who was set to accompany the duo as coach, also had to cancel their trips as the visas didn't arrive. Lakshya is now training in Bengaluru this week.

STRANDED: Lakshya Sen

Biju.BabuCyriac@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru: Indian badminton ace Lakshya Sen's plans to defend his title at this week's Canada Open in Calgary, aBWF World Tour Super 500 tournament, came to a nought because his application for a visa got stuck at the High Commission of Canada in New Delhi.

The delay forced Lakshya, who was hoping to get some valuable match practice ahead of the Paris Olympics, to pull out of the tournament. This will also re- sult in him dropping valuable ranking points, which could even affect his seeding when the draw for the Group Stages of the Olympics – which considers the rankings as on July 9 – is held at the BWF headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on July 12.

“It was an important tournament for Lakshya who was seeded fourth (at Canada Open). But despite the best efforts for 10 days from the Union sports ministry and Sports Authority of India (SAI) officials, Lakshya didn't get the Canadian visa that would have helped him to defend his title. He was supposed to leave from here last Friday. Now the revised plans will see him travel to Mar- seille where he will train till the start of the Olympics,” sources close to the player told TOI.

“He already has a US visa and despite that his Canadian visa was not processed on time. Denmark's World No. 4 Anders Antonsen is the top seed in Ca- nada ahead of Japan's Kodai Naraoka (world No. 6) and Kenta Nishimoto (world No. 10).

Along with Lakshya, World No. 35 Kiran George and Lakshya's father DK Sen, who was set to accompany the duo as coach, a lso had to cancel their trips as the visas didn't arrive.

Meanwhile, another set of players including Priyanshu Rajawat who had applied from the USA after competing in the US Open got their visas.

After being stranded, Lakshya is now training here this week and is scheduled to leave for Marseille for a training camp before checking into the Games Village. “We are now trying to get back the passport from the consulate so that he can leave for Marseille on time,” they added.

IT’S COMING HOME!

Meeting With PM, Open Bus Parade in Mumbai For Team India As They Reach With Cup Today

Gaurav.Gupta@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: ‘Beryl,’ a Category 5 hurricane in Barbados, may have delayed India’s T20 World Cup-winning team’s arrival back home by around 72 hours, but the almost day-long welcome party of India’s first bunch of World Cup winners since 2011 will be truly grand, with shades of the celebration of 2007 T20 World Cup triumph by MS Dhoni and his boys.

Soon after landing in New Delhi on Thursday morning (6am) all the way from Bridgetown, Barbados in a special-arranged Air India aircraft aptly named ‘AIC24WC’ (it was the most tracked flight in India on Wednesday), the team will be hosted for a reception between 10 to 12 am by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence.

Rohit Sharma & Co will then fly to Mumbai, and after their arrival at 2pm, will proceed straight to NCPA at Nariman Point in Volvo buses. From 5pm to 7pm, the team will enjoy an open bus parade (for about a kilometre-long stretch) at the Marine Drive from the Nariman Point to the Wankhede Stadium -just like MS Dhoni and his boys did back in 2007.

Thereafter, at a small function at the Wankhede Stadium in the evening, the team will be handed over a cheque of Rs 125 crore by BCCI secretary Jay Shah. Post the function, the team will leave for its hotel in Colaba. “A special stage is being constructed at the Wankhede Stadium for the function. The team will take a victory lap of the Wankhede Stadium,” a source told TOI.

All these celebrations will obviously result in traffic snarls in South Mumbai, but the Mumbaikars would surely not mind enduring bottlenecks for a day. Like it was in 2007, thousands of people are likely to turn up at the Marine Drive and at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday to cheer for their heroes.

Stranded in Bridgetown for the past three days due to the hurricane, Indian players took a specially arranged ‘Long Range’ Air India chartered aircraft, on Tuesday night (local time), to fly onstop to New Delhi.

BCCI help for stranded India media

BCCI secretary Jay Shah came for- ward to help the 20-odd Indian media personnel stranded in Barbados by offering them to fly with the Indian team on the chartered flight from Barbados to Delhi. Barbados has been on high alert due to the Hurricane Beryl threat in the island nation since Sunday.

July 4: Tentative schedule

6 am: Arrival at Delhi Airport

9 am: Departure from hotel for PM residence

10 am to noon: Function at PM residence

2 pm: Departure for Mumbai

5 to 7 pm: Open bus parade

7 to 7.30 pm: Function at Wankhede

PRIZED POSSESSIONS: Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma pose with the trophy in the flight to Delhi on Wednesday. (Right) Rishabh Pant shows his winner’s medal

How Air India operated the special flight for Team India from Barbados

Saurabh.Sinha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: “It’s a matter of national pride for us.” That’s how Air India described operating a special flight — AIC24WC — from Barbados to Delhi, flying home the World Cup winning Men In Blue who had been stuck in the Carribean island after Hurricane Beryl forced all flights to be cancelled. BCCI had been trying to organise special charter to fly back the team, players’ family members and others from India who were there for the World Cup which India had won last Saturday. They were originally supposed to fly Emirates but all flights to and from Barbados were cancelled due to the hurricane.

“BCCI had reached out to multiple airlines and charter companies to fly out Team India from Barbados. They contacted us also. We decided this was a matter of national pride. A Boeing 777 was supposed to operate NewarkDelhi on July 1. That flight was cancelled and the aircraft sent to Barbados,” said AI sources.

Over 200 passengers were booked on that cancelled flight. “We informed passengers and offered to rebook them on other airlines. Still many passengers reached the airport for this flight. Some of them were sent on United to Delhi from Newark; some were driven to New York and then flown to Delhi on another AI flight and some were sent to hotels,” said a person in the know.

“The team hotel in Barbados was running out of food, water and other essential items. Other airlines were not agreeing to operate a special flight. We felt it was a national duty and pride to operate the flight. Once we ascertained it could be done with absolute safety, we operated the aircraft from Newark to Barbados,” said AI sources.

The DGC has sought a report from AI in this matter.

PCB plans India-Pak CT match on Mar 1

New Delhi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has slotted its team’s marquee Champions Trophy match against arch-foes India in Lahore on Mar 1 next year but the BCCI is yet to give its consent to the tentative schedule, a senior ICC Board member said. The tournament is slated from Feb 19 to Mar 9 with a reserve day for the final.

It is understood PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who was invited to watch the T20 World Cup final in Barbados, submitted a 15-match schedule with all of India’s games kept in Lahore for security and logistical reasons. “The PCB has submitted the draft of the 15-match ICC Champions Trophy. Seven games in Lahore, three in Karachi and five in Rawalpindi,” an ICC Board member said. “The opening match will be held in Karachi with two semifinals in Karachi and Rawalpindi, final in Lahore. All India matches (including semifinal, if the team qualifies) will be held in Lahore,” the source added.

India have been clubbed with Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand in Group A. Group B has Australia, South Africa, England and Afghanistan.

PTI

Govt opens coffers, it’s time for Indian shoot ers to shine in Paris

Sabi.Hussain@timesgroup.com

ROAD TO OLY

New Delhi: India’s medal tally at the Paris Olympics will largely depend on the performance of the country’s shooters. Having secured an unprecedented 21 quota places across rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines, Indian shooters n ow have time to bury the ghosts of 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics from where they returned empty-handed.

The country’s sports administrators have done their bit by spending Rs 60.42 crore on the shooting squad during the three-year Paris Olympics cycle. And n ow i t’s up to the shooters to nail down the targets at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre in France. The Indian shooters certainly look ready owing to their impressive performances during the qualification cycle for the Games. It’ll be worthy to mention that this will be the largest-ever Indian shooting contingent to Olympics, surpassing the 15 who went to Tokyo Games.

As per the figures available with TOI, Rs 52.13 crore was spent on senior shooters du- ring the Paris Olympics cycle as part of the Annual Competition and Training Calendar (ACTC). From the Target Olympics Podium Scheme (TOPS), a separate Rs 8.08 crore was sanctioned to Paris-bound shooters for various proposals submitted. The amount received as part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which was spent on shooters, stood at Rs 19.54 crore.

In addition to that, Rs 23.24 crore was spent on funding the foreign exposure trips of shooters as part of the ACTC. Shooters went on a total of 45 exposure trips abroad during this Olympics cycle. Also, a total of 45 national and international camps were organised for them, over 480 days, and the expenditure incurred was Rs 11.56 crore. For rifle and pistol teams, the camps were organised in Chateauroux and Volmerange-les-Mines in France and ammunition was tested in Austria and Germany. Shotgun teams had camps in Lonato, Capua and Carney. In India, the shooters trained in Delhi and Bhopal.

Over the last three years, the shooters were assisted by a total of 13 foreign coaches – six in 2022, four in 2023 and three in 2024. Additionally, a centralised sports science team with sports psychologists, data scientist and nutritionist under a high performance director (HPD) worked round-the-clock with shooters.

India will field eight shooters in rifle events, seven in pistol and six in shotgun events. The country will also have five mixed teams — two each in rifle and pistol and one in the shotgun skeet. Shooting events in Paris will run from July 27 to Aug 5.

The remarkable high experienced by the country’s shooters at the Hangzhou Asian Games has provided reason to feel confident about their chances in Paris. India secured its highest-ever medals tally in shooting – 22 – at the Asiad. The sports administrators have put the medal count expectation from shooting at three.

Medvedev recovers to beat MullerMedvedev recovers to beat Muller

Maverick Russian Comes From A Set Behind To Pip The Frenchman

VICTORIOUS: Daniil Medvedev celebrates after winning against Alexandre Muller in his second round singles match

Prajwal.Hegde@timesgroup.com

London: Daniil Medvedev was having a meltdown of sorts on Centre Court in his Wimbledon second-round match against the 102nd ranked Frenchman Alexandre Muller.

The fifth seed was unhappy it seemed on several counts – including bounce and tactics – gesturing to his box, pointing at his French coaches Gilles Cervara and Gilles Simon and shadowing backhands. The Russian was beside himself.

Medvedev – both maverick and mercurial – bizarrely raced to his courtside chair at 6-3 in the first set tie-break, thinking the set was done. The chair umpire repeatedly called the tie-break score ‘6-3’, trying to get the player back on court. Medvedev, in the middle of a rant, finally heard the umpire and quickly returned to the middle. The world No. 5, who trailed by a set and a break against Muller, managed to steady the boat on a day when whimsical weather continued to disrupt the schedule on outside courts, eventually coming through 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4), 6-4, 7-5 in 3-hours and 28-min utes.

The 28-year-old, who has a love affair going with Court No.1, which he amorously called ‘very different’ from

Centre Court, which he thought was ‘slower’, though the ball ‘bounced higher’. It might have something to do with the result of his semifinals 12 months ago, his only outing at the centerpiece of this venue, while he has never lost on Court No. 1.

“I didn’ t play the best match, but I won,” Medvedev said of Wednesday’s effort. “For whatever reason Centre Court feels much slower, really slow bounce, not li ke grass where it is sliding. You need to get used to it. The more matches I play on it the more chances I have to play better and better. Definitely always happy to play on Centre Court, but more happy when I win.”

Medvedev, who has struggled to back up his strong start to the year after making the final at Melbourne Park and then again at Indian Wells a month later, hasn’t been able to go fo r more on his serve in the spring swing.

RESULTS (DAY THREE)

Men: Quentin Halys, France, def. Christopher Eubanks, United States, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2; Karen Khachanov (21), Russia, def. Aslan Karatsev, Russia, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (11), 2-0, ret; Brandon Nakashima, United States, def. Jordan Thompson, Australia, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2; Frances Tiafoe (29), United States, def. Borna Coric, Croatia, 7-6 (5), 6-1, 6-3; Ugo Humbert (16), France, def. Botic Van de Zandschulp, Netherlands, 7-6 (9), 6-1, 6-3; Carlos Alcaraz (3), Spain, def. Aleksandar Vukic, Australia, 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-2; Fabio Fognini, Italy, def. Casper Ruud (8), Norway, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (1), 6-3; Daniil Medvedev (5), Russia, def. Alexandre Muller, France, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4), 6-4, 7-5.

Women: Jule Niemeier, Germany, def. Viktorija Golubic, Switzerland, 6-2, 6-1; Camila Osorio, Colombia, def. Lauren Davis, USA, 6-3, 6-1; Katie Volynets, USA, def. Maria Carle, Argentina, 6-2, 7-5; Beatriz Haddad Maia (20), Brazil, def. Magdalena Frech, Poland, 7-5, 6-3; Elina Svitolina (21), Ukraine, def. Magda Linette, Poland, 7-5, 6-7 (9), 6-3; Barbora Krejcikova (31), Czechia, def. Veronika Kudermetova, Russia, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (1), 7-5; Coco Gauff (2), United States, def. Anca Alexia Todoni, Romania, 6-2, 6-1; Sonay Kartal, Britain, def. Clara Burel, France, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.

Gauff takes spotlight and place in Round 3

COCO GA UFF

Prajwal.Hegde@timesgroup.com

London: Coco Gauff’s Wimbledon dress, which is scoring heavily on fashion charts, may spark Serena Williams’ vibes, but the 20-year -old confir med that the legendary superstar isn’t the inspiration for the style.

Gauff, whose dress – peaka-boo back and cut-out waist detailing – is similar to the outfit Serena Williams wore in 2019 when she made the final here. Gauff has also dyed part of her hair blonde, a shade Williams has often flirted with. “Serena has done every iconic dress fit in the game that unintentionally you can have something inspired by her. It was similar to my Australian Open outfit this year. Some people thought it was inspired by her, which it wasn’t,” the world No.2 clarified.

“Serena is such an icon that everybody can have in -spiration from her, she’s the original,” Gauff said. “I’m not going to sit here and lie to you and be like, yeah, we took this picture and we wanted to do that.”

Gauff credited a global brand for the design of her dress. “I told them I wanted to play with cut-outs because there’s not much you can do with the white. I don’t really ever design anything. I don’t draw it. I tell them what I want and they put it in a nice way.”

Gauff, who scored a 6-2, 6-1 win over Romanian qualifier Anca Todoni, to go through to the third round, said her outfit was SW19 inspired.

India’s kabaddi teams barred from international participation

Sabi.Hussain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Indian kabaddi plunged into fresh crisis on Wednesday. The sport’s global governing body – International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) – has barred the country’s p layers from participating in international competitions over the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India’s (AKFI) failure to constitute a duly elected body to run its day-to-day affairs.

AKFI is currently under an administrator’s control and a writ petition in this direction is pending before the Delhi high court. The next date of hearing in the matter is on Thursday. AKFI held its elections in Dec 2023 following which Vibhor Jain was elected as the federation’s president and Jitendra Pran Singh as secretary general. However, the returning officer (RO) subjected the approval of election results to the outcome of petition in the court, which led to AKFI still being run by the administrator.

In his letter to Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president P T Usha, IKF’s chief Vi- nod Kumar Tiwari wrote: “It has come to our knowledge that the administrator of AKFI has conducted the elections to the AKFI on 24.12.2023 and one managing committee has already been elected, yet the management of the AKFI continues to be with the administrator. This is a clear violation of the conditions for affiliation to the IKF. Therefore, it has been decided that the teams sent by the AKFI shall not be allowed to participate in the 1st Senior men’s World Beach Kabaddi Championships .”

Nagal bows out in the first round of doubles

SUMIT NAGAL

London: India’s Sumit Nagal drew curtains on his campaign at the Wimbledon, crashing out in straight sets in the opening round of the men’s doubles event along side his Serbian partner Dusan Lajovic here on Wednesday.

Nagal and Lajovic lost 2-6, 2-6 against Spanish pair of Jaume Munar and Pedro Martinez in one hour and seven minutes to bow out of the competition.

Nagal, India’s top-ranked player, had earlier lost in the opening round of men’s singles on Monday. Nagal, a former boys doubles Wimbledon champion, lost to Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6 in 2 hours and 48 minute. Nagal, playing his first match in the main draw, put up a brave fight before going down in the opening round.

In another men’s doubles match, second seeds Rohan Bopanna and Aussie Matthew Ebden beat alternates Robin Haase and Sander Arends 7-5, 6-4.

PTI

Hardik first Indian to get top spot in T20I allrounders’ rankings

PAND YA

Dubai: Hardik Pandya rose two places to become the first Indian to occupy the No. 1 spot in the ICC’s T20I all-rounders’ rankings on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old climbed up two places to go level with Sri Lankan star Wanindu Hasaranga as the top-ranked men’s T20I allrounder.

In the T20I bowling rankings, Jasprit Bumrah moved up 12 spots to be just outside the top-10. He’s at 12th, his highest position since the end of 2020. South Africa’s Anrich Nortje rose seven places to a career-best second spot to be just behind top-ranked Adil Rashid with 675 rating points.

AGENCIE

Delhi Times

- #ShaadiKeBaad

- SOME MAKERS THOUGHT I COULDN’T BE GLAMOROUS: RICHA CHADHA

- BUZZ STOP

- BTS’ Jin to be South Korea’s torchbearer at Paris Olympics

- Japanese man breaks world record with a 63-leaf clover

- Education turns our abilities into knowledge, says varsity chancellor

- Got out of my comfort zone, took risks: Helly

- A suﬁyaana shaam for Shashi Tharoor

- TRIPPIN

- BHANSALI VALUES PEOPLE WHO HAVE TALENT, SAYS RICHA

- Privileged to enjoy Wimbledon: Lara

- I’m completely single at the moment: Camila

- Judi, Sian ﬁrst women members of London men-only Garrick Club

#ShaadiKeBaad

Social media updates have been keeping the interest in Sonakshi-Zaheer’s union alive

SONAKSHI & ZAHEER PDA: Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal have been dropping cute pictures and videos from their honeymoon. Zaheer posted a video from their lunch date of Sonakshi laughing, and wrote, “#HusbandHacks She wanted to shout at me but I made her laugh instead.” Before that, Sona shared a video of Zaheer carrying her sandals and wrote, “When you marry the greenest flag ever.”

LUV DELETES TWEET ABOUT ZAHEER’S FATHER: A news article alleged that there were rumours about Zaheer’s father’s past. Commenting on that, Sona’s brother Luv wrote, “The reasons are very clear as to why I didn’t attend, and would not associate with some people no matter what.” He also quoted a few lines from the report, which he has now deleted and clarified that “it is not my statement and was written in an article.”

SHATRUGHAN STAYING AWAY FROM CONTROVERSY: Shatrughan Sinha had shared pictures from the hospital a couple of days ago and wrote, “Away from the ‘controversy & confusion’ created by some of our good friends from the social media/Youtubers.” After his discharge post a routine check-up, he thanked everyone for their messages and called Sonakshi and Zaheer “the ‘made for each other’ couple.”

SOME MAKERS THOUGHT I COULDN’T BE GLAMOROUS: RICHA CHADHA

After Gangs of Wasseypur, I had to battle some ridiculous notions like ‘she is older, she can’t speak English’. Some people would talk to me in broken Hindi, assuming I wouldn’t understand English. I had to face this attitude

Richa Chadha in Heermandi; (right) in Gangs Of Wasseypur

Renuka Vyavahare

There are certain ways actors are often perceived, especially when it comes to their physicality and the way they appear on screen. Some of them even get typecast based on their character’s look for a particular movie. Richa Chadha, who has delivered several powerful performances in her career, from Gangs Of Wasseypur to the recent web series Heeramandi, believes that it takes a lot of effort for an actor to break that perception, and it takes a director like Sanjay Leela Bhansali to look at an actor from a different and unique lens.

CONTINUED ON 4

BUZZ STOP

CATE BLANCHETT TO GET TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL TRIBUTE AWARD

Cate Blanchett will be honored at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival with a Tribute Award. “One of the finest actors in film history, she has consistently shown range, depth and audacity on screen. Offscreen, she has been a tireless champion of increased equity and justice in many sectors,” TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey said.

KATE WINSLET GETS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AT MUNICH FEST

Kate Winslet received a lifetime achievement award at the Munich International Film Festival. David Kross, Winslet’s young German co-star from The Reader (2008), presented her with the CineMerit award, recalling that they first met “16 years ago when I was just 17 years old, had only made two films and had just left school. And you were Kate Winslet.”

BTS’ Jin to be South Korea’s torchbearer at Paris Olympics

Jin, the oldest member of K-pop supergroup BTS, will be an Olympic torchbearer at the Paris games after recently completing his mandatory military service. The 31-year-old singer is expected to represent South Korea in the torch relay in hopes of spreading the message of “harmony and peace,” according to a statement. He finished his 18-month military service last month.

Jin along with the other torchbearers are scheduled to go across various historic sites of the host country. The specific schedule has not been disclosed. Jin began his military service at a front-line South Korean military boot camp in late 2022. His other group members – Jung Kook, V, Jimin, Suga, RM, and J-Hope – are currently serving their military duties. AP

Japanese man breaks world record with a 63-leaf clover

Bizarre

Yoshiharu Watanabe, from Japan, broke a Guinness World Record by growing a 63-leaf clover. The 45-year-old started cross-pollinating clovers at his home in 2012. A few years ago, he successfully grew a 20-leaf clover and then became inspired to try and break the record. He used a combination of letting his clover patches pollinate naturally and handpollinating those with the most leaves.

Education turns our abilities into knowledge, says varsity chancellor

The view of the university

Sachin Gupta, Chancellor of the university

To encourage youth education, Sanskriti University recently hosted an educational seminar. During the seminar, the management focused on topics such as the importance of emotional intelligence, spiritual intelligence for becoming good leaders, positive thinking and its power.

The university’s management team stated, “Our university has been recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC). We offer a comprehensive range of undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes across various fields, including Engineering, Information Technology, Medical Sciences, Law, Management, and Humanities.”

They added, “This university’s modern campus is designed to foster an ideal learning environment. It features state-of-the-art laboratories, extensive libraries, and comfortable residential facilities. The diverse student body includes international students.”

The university offers programmes in collaboration with institutions like IIT and IIM, providing students with additional certifications and training from industry experts. The uni- versity offers BTech (CSE), MTech, diplomas in fashion designing, and various other specialisations. The university also offers integrated programmes such as BCA+MCA (4 years) and collaborates with IIT for credit transfer. Courses like BBA, MBA, and integrated BBA+MBA (4 years) in collaboration with IIM, focusing on dual specialisations in fields such as HR, International Business, and Finance, are also available. Other programmes at the university include BSc in Nursing, Radiology and Imaging Technology, Cardiovascular Technology, BPT and MPT, and various others designed to meet the demands of the healthcare sector.

Another course offered by the university is in the field of agriculture. The team said, “The School of Agriculture is accredited by ICAR and offers programmes like BSc (Hons.) Agriculture, MSc in Agronomy, and more.”

Sachin Gupta, Chancellor of Sanskriti University, said, “Education turns our basic abilities into knowledge. It’s also important to develop human values. Experience a blend of tradition and modernity at our university.” Website: www.sanskriti.edu.in

Audience during the recent seminar

Got out of my comfort zone, took risks: Helly

Helly Shah

For a TV actor, taking a break from the small screen to pursue other mediums is not easy. Ask Helly Shah, who experienced challenges on the way, but did not give up and is in a happy space today. The Diya Aur Baati Hum and Laal Ishq actress says, “It was a conscious decision to take a break from TV after Ishq Mein Marjawan. I had worked for 10 years and needed a breather to work on myself. Having said that, it was tough and there were times when I used to wonder if I had done the right thing. In 2021, I signed a web show for a popular platform and even worked on the project for a few months, but it got shelved and I was heartbroken. However, I’m glad I did not give up and some time later bagged my next web series.”

Helly, who made her OTT debut with Gullak 4, adds, “TV has always been my comfort zone. Not everyone is ready to get out of their comfort zone and take risks, but I wanted to do that. And I think I have learnt a lot in the past two to three years and also honed my craft. I am happy with the way my career has shaped up, but I want to do a lot more.”

Hasti Doshi

‘I like to keep a low profile’

Helly says that she likes to keep a low profile and wants her work to do the talking. “I have a limited set of people in my life. I am a simple person and I don’t like to be seen everywhere all the time. I think that’s also what keeps me sane.”

A sufiyaana shaam for Shashi Tharoor

There won’t be too many words, specially standing between cake and music puts me in a position where brevity is certainly the indicated outcome – Shashi Tharoor

Qawwals from Rampur

Divya Kaushik

What better way to unwind than by listening to some Sufi music after an eventful day of political proceedings and sessions? This particular Sufi evening was hosted to celebrate Shashi Tharoor’s recent victory in the Lok Sabha elections. The evening was organised by his longtime friend and entrepreneur Khaver Ali Khan and his wife, Saima Nafees Khan.

RAMPUR KI QAWWALI FOR DILLIVAASIS

Fragrance of rajnigandha and gulab gajras welcomed guests as they were greeted with adaab by the hosts, who curated the evening to offer a unique cultural experience. Qawwals from Rampur were invited to perform for this special evening.

A WONDERFUL WAY TO CELEBRATE: SHASHI THAROOR

Dressed in a black kurta pyjama, Tharoor attended the evening with his mother. Before cutting the cake, he shared, “Just want to thank Khaver and Saima for their wonderful hospitality. I am just delighted that they have chosen to celebrate this moment of my return to Parliament in this wonderful way with Sufi qawwali music from Rampur and so many friends who have taken the trouble to come and share the moment with us, thank you all for being here.”

Shashi Tharoor

Khaver Ali Khan and Saima Nafees Khan

Spotted after a long time at the event were former model Jas Arora (R) and former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin (L). Jas, who attended the evening with his daughter and wife, shared that work has been keeping him busy and he keeps travelling between Delhi, Mumbai and Dubai for his fashion business. “Also, after Freaky Ali (2016), I have some more acting projects lined up,” he told us

Shashi Kumar and Ritu Kumar

Ameena Jung with Najeeb Jung

Rajinder and Pari Bagga

May-Elin Stener, Norwegian Ambassador, with Espen Aasen

Pavan K Varma and Renuka Varma

Chetan Seth

Philip Green, Australian High Commissioner

On a sweet note

A counter displaying some exotic varieties of mangoes was set up near the entrance and was one of the highlights of the evening. “Tharoor loves mangoes and he is known for hosting mango parties at his home. Here, we have some award-winning varieties of mangoes, like Anwar Ratol and Gulab Jamun, from our orchard,” said Khaver. The spread for the evening was all about traditional delicacies like biry ani, salan, jalebi and rasmalai.

TRIPPIN

Strolling through the busy streets and sailing away, SHILPA SHETTY enjoys a “NEW YORK kinda day”

BHANSALI VALUES PEOPLE WHO HAVE TALENT, SAYS RICHA

It was difficult for me to break the perception that I could never look nice. Some filmmakers told me that I can’t be featured in songs because I can’t look a certain way. They assumed that tum naach nahi sakte, ga nahi sakte. It’s bizarre. Who are you to tell someone what they can or can’t do?

CONTINUED FROM 1

Richa says, “I am happy I worked with Sanjay Leela Bhansali in Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela and now in Heeramandi. He is an interesting creator. He values people who have talent. I have never heard him say things like ‘Iska kaam accha nahi hai, ya yeh sundar nahi hai’ about anyone. He has so much confidence in his abilities to present someone in the way that he wants to.”

Looking back at her journey, she elaborates, “When I entered the industry after Gangs of Wasseypur, I had to battle some ridiculous notions like ‘She is older, she can’t speak English’. Some people would talk to other cast members nicely and talk to me in broken Hindi, assuming I wouldn’t understand English. I had to face this attitude. I felt belittled, and these people came from a place of ignorance because they didn’t even know how educated I was and what kind of family I came from. I am not looking down upon people who only speak in Hindi. It’s not about the language. Nawaz (Siddiqui), at that point, did all his interviews in Hindi. Pankajji (Tripathi) is still more comfortable in Hindi. What irked me was that someone choosing to do a deglam part in a film shouldn’t be treated any less. It was as- sumed that I wasn’t capable of being glamorous because I played a certain part.

Talking about her training in Indian classical dance, Richa shares, “I have trained in Kathak. The industry had a lot of Bharatanatyam dancers like Asha Parekh, Waheeda Rehman, Vyajayanthimala and Hema Malini, but not many were trained in Kathak. Madhuri (Dixit) is among the few who are trained in Kathak, and I have always wanted Kathak to be showcased beautifully in our movies. That happened because of Bhansali, and I am grateful for it. When you truly love an art form, you also want that art form to progress.”

(Left) Richa Chadha and Sanjay Leela Bhansali in a BTS pic from Heeramandi. The actress says, “Bhansali loves his actors”

Privileged to enjoy Wimbledon: Lara

Lara Dutta, Mahesh Bhupathi, and daughter Saira are having the best time at Wimbledon. Sharing pics from the same, the actress wrote, “Day 1 of Wimbledon done and dusted! I feel so privileged to enjoy this Mecca of tennis alongside my amazing man Mahesh Bhupathi, who every time he enters these gates, feels like he’s come home! And to now enjoy it with our daughter, who loves it as much as him!!” To praise tennis player Sumit Nagal, she added, “Sumit Nagal played some topquality tennis yesterday! Played his heart out!”

I’m completely single at the moment: Camila

Camila Cabello

Camila Cabello has declared she is “completely single” at the moment because she barely has time to look for love. The 27-year-old pop star previously dated relationship coach Matthew Hussey, singer Shawn Mendes and businessman Austin Kevitch, and was recently linked to Drake after they were spotted on vacation together, but Camila says she just doesn’t have time for romance right now.

In a recent interview with a newspaper, the Havana singer said, “I am completely single at the moment. I barely have time to shave my legs! I’ve been working so hard I have not had time, but the pendulum is going to have to swing the other way at some point.” Agencies

Judi, Sian first women members of London men-only Garrick Club

Sian Phillips

Judi Dench and Welsh actress Sian Phillips have become the first woman members of London’s esteemed Garrick Club after it voted in May to allow women to join, revealed a Guardian report recently.

Founded in 1831 for actors and “men of refinement and education”, the Garrick was one of the last such clubs not to allow women in, except as guests of men.

But following a bitter row, the club opened up its membership in May and fasttracked the actors’ applications during its annual general meeting on Monday.

Several high-profile members had reportedly threatened to quit the club if the proposal to allow women was rejected.

A petition launched in 2021 backing the admission of women attracted the support of Cherie Booth, a leading barrister, whose husband is former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. The Garrick, located in Covent Garden in central London, offers members overnight accommodation, a restaurant, bars and a library.

Other high-profile figures reported to be members include Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch and senior minister Michael Gove. An early member was Charles Dickens. Agencies

Judi Dench

Table of Contents

TOI Print Edition Jul 04, 2024

Front Page

80k ecstasy: Sensex crosses mark in fastest 10k rally ever

Colleagues drug, gang-rape Hyd woman in car

‘Reference’ column in admission forms

HC blow to registrar with Sidda reference

`1.9k cr loan to mills tied to NCP, BJP netas

3 bridges fall in Bihar: It’s 9 in 15 days now

IN THE COURTS

Bhavan ex-staffer moves SC against Bengal governor

BRS govt tapped phones of judge, wife: Hyd top cop

Accused entitled to bail if trial slow, irrespective of nature of crime: SC

Teen held for murder of 9-yr-old escapes being tried as an adult by 1 day

Inspiring journey: Truck driver’s son goes to IIM-L

L K Advani, 96, admitted to hospital again

Tanker crushes man, another stabbed

Sidda suspends land allocation to wife

Twitter’s desi rival Koo shuts down

Frantic search for missing as Hathras toll touches 121

FIR names chief volunteer, but leaves out ‘Baba’

‘Organisers ignored injured, seen busy clearing evidence’

Stampede caused by anti-social elements: ‘Baba’

PM to oppn: Manipur returning to normal, don’t add fuel to fire

Days after bail, Hemant set to return as J’khand CM

Hry ASI shot at residence by 2 men on bike

Times Nation

Thief vows to return loot in a month

‘Referred by whom,’ asks T’gana school entry form

EAM to Lavrov: Send back our youth working with your army

`1,898cr loan for 13 sugar mills, 10 tied to Maha NCP, BJP netas

HC orders community service by kin of 2 accused

SC slams Manipur for denying med aid to tribal prisoner

CBI arrests NEET leak co-conspirator

Sumant studied 12 hours a day, took mock tests each weekend

HC frees death-row convict after 11 years, awards him `5L

BRS govt tracked phones of a judge, wife: Hyd CP to HC

Army says family of Agniveer Ajay Kumar already paid `98 lakh

K’taka cancels plot allocation after row over CM wife’s land

Kharge cites RSS mouthpiece to attack PM on Constitution

Govt looking at ‘watermarking’ AI-bred content to curb misuse

Amritpal gets 4-day parole, to take oath as MP tomorrow

Won’t let Cong succeed in plan to stall House: Rijiju

Woman drugged, gang-raped by colleagues in car

BJP doesn’t know tenets of Hinduism: Rahul on Guj attack

Oppn lacks courage to hear the truth, running away: PM

ED may move SC seeking stay on Soren’s bail in laundering case

Rahul incited MPs, it’s against constitutional norms: BJP

New Army chief visits J&K, reviews preparedness on LoC

AFTER DEATHS, CLAIMS OF A COVER-UP

Baba claimed he could revive dead, was held

Scattered slippers, shoes tell tragic tales

Nod for 80k, but 2.5 lakh came for satsang, says FIR

Yogi sniffs ‘conspiracy’, orders judicial probe

SDM’s report says Baba’s guards triggered chaos

Baba flees, blames goons for stampede

‘Kids too small to be home alone died’

Recall ‘misguiding’ lake tragedy report: HC to Guj

Victim’s kin want to oppose in SC Porsche teen bail

NDA allies secure key positions in new Cabinet committees

SC raps NIA, lower court for breaching right to speedy trial

Party comes first, ‘emotional’ Champai said at meeting: MLA

Cops to probe role of proclaimed offenders in Haryana ASI’s murder

NIMHANS ex-chief Gangadhar to head NMC

Tractor mows down 2 women in Punjab:

HC: Why only boys are apprehended but girls let off for love affairs among minors?

Times City

Man crushed by tanker, another stabbed amid pandemonium

80 Spot Visits In A Day: Forensic Sleuths Up To Their Neck In Work

Caught for petty theft? Sweep park as punishment

Mohalla bus service set for launch soon, Dwarka to be hub

Govt proposal to crack whip on lane violations

New rules to put brakes on illegal driving schools

How Kalkaji tragedy in Jan led to tighter norms in city

2 murdered kids & a suicide: No answers 73 days on

PM Asks Cong To Come Clean On Its Allegations Against AAP

Excise case: Court reserves order over Kejriwal’s plea

HC to examine CM’s bail plea in CBI case tomorrow

Renovation of CM house: Vigilance suspends two PWD engineers

‘DDA, forest officials skipped summons’

Hope Floats: Dwarka Drain Nears Completion

DIAL decides to shift some flights from T2 to T3

A year on, one held for minor girl’s rape

Three arrested for robberies in north, outer Delhi

Even Rare Days When Air Meets Our Standards Not Good Enough

NDMC okays plan to procure 200MW of solar power

National standards not met on 80% of days in June in city

Rain relief finally for Delhi, forecast of strong winds today

PWD minister inspects flood control room

Scanty Rain, But Still Roads Overflowing

‘School not letting children attend classes over hiked fee’

‘Minor gave different versions of incident’

Ensure no project sees overruns of more than 1.2 times: PWD directive

57-year-old doc gets bail in ‘illegal’ abortion case

After SC order, Noida clears revised layouts for Unitech projects

‘Upper age in bone test to be considered for rape survivor’

BJP, Cong trade barbs over Rahul’s speech

Teachers’ transfer: Atishi serves notices to officials

Canopy fall: Cops seek info from authorities

Mango fest at Janakpuri Dilli Haat

Times Special

GIVE NO QUARTER

THE SAVEIOR

SHORT STORIES

Times Global

484 seats for Labour? Historic win predicted for Tories’ rival

Kamala blooms as debate debacle threatens to tank prez’s 2<sup>nd</sup> term bid

Back to fin sector job if he loses? PM denies

Diaspora support for Tories plummets

Prez says ‘I’m running. No one is pushing me out’

‘Weighing options: Biden told ally’; WH says false

France’s far-right seen falling short of majority in run-off, finds poll

Nepal PM loses majority after coalition partner quits govt

Roadside blast killed ex-senator, 4 others in NW Pakistan: Police

AROUND THE WORLD

Editorial

Crushing Truth

Court Don’t Contort

My doctored life

Modi Vs Rahul, House & Country

80K Question: Why’s Market OK With Macro Problems?

India’s T20 World Cup And Three Ps of Success

A thought for today

Sacred space

Times Business

Retail Investors Chant Buy-Buy Amid FPIs’ Buy & Bye

Steady rupee a positive for foreign funds

Tata Motors, Mahindra top sensex gainers since 40,000 pts

What to buy? Keep good company, go for large caps

Valuations are up... will profits keep pace?

Robust growth prospects boost market sentiment

Small towns join stock party, bull run reaches Sundarbans

Lending by NBFCs grows 1.8% in Q4

Job creation in services sector fastest in 22 mths

Funding to startups rises 45% to $3.2bn

Report: India 5th in GenAI inventions

Ex-RBI guv Patel joins Britannia board

Need to further boost governance, says Das

Koo, desi rival of Twitter, closes ops on funding woes

‘Reduce friction around ease of doing business’

PM cites 10 Prez rule spells in Manipur to attack oppn

‘Throughout night, saw bodies brought in tempos, even trucks’

Mistaken for terrorists, bearded BSF men in military fatigues spark scare in Pathankot

NHRM scam: Shooter gets life terms for killing CMOs 13 yrs ago

TWO MURDERS THAT SHOOK UP 13 YEARS AGO

Times Sport

THE SAUDI ANGLE

COSTA RICA OUT DESPITE BEATING PARAGUAY 2-1

Why can’t we beat England? Swiss coach in ‘mood’ to walk the talk

OF WOLVES AND EAGLES

Victorious Turkiye snatch ‘dark horses’ tag from Austria

Dorival urges Brazil to stick to process

GEORGIA FANS GREET RETURNING PLAYERS WITH RALLY

GERMAN POLICE PROBE VIDEO OF STEWARDS BEATING FAN

THE BALL IS NOT ALWAYS ROUND

GALLERY

Setback for Lakshya as he fails to get Canadian visa

IT’S COMING HOME!

How Air India operated the special flight for Team India from Barbados

PCB plans India-Pak CT match on Mar 1

Govt opens coffers, it’s time for Indian shoot ers to shine in Paris

Medvedev recovers to beat MullerMedvedev recovers to beat Muller

Gauff takes spotlight and place in Round 3

India’s kabaddi teams barred from international participation

Nagal bows out in the first round of doubles

Hardik first Indian to get top spot in T20I allrounders’ rankings

Delhi Times

#ShaadiKeBaad

SOME MAKERS THOUGHT I COULDN’T BE GLAMOROUS: RICHA CHADHA

BUZZ STOP

BTS’ Jin to be South Korea’s torchbearer at Paris Olympics

Japanese man breaks world record with a 63-leaf clover

Education turns our abilities into knowledge, says varsity chancellor

Got out of my comfort zone, took risks: Helly

A suﬁyaana shaam for Shashi Tharoor

TRIPPIN

BHANSALI VALUES PEOPLE WHO HAVE TALENT, SAYS RICHA

Privileged to enjoy Wimbledon: Lara

I’m completely single at the moment: Camila

Judi, Sian ﬁrst women members of London men-only Garrick Club