Vol. 67 No. 191 | SATURDAY | MAY 11, 2024 | 34 Pages | `5 & for Pune `6 only Quality at Value www.freepressjournal.in MEMBER: AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATION JANUARY TO DECEMBER 2023 EDITIONS: MUMBAI*, Pune, Nashik, Konkan, Indore, Bhopal, E-paper REVIEWS THIS WEEK THE FP BULLETIN 12 MAOISTS ARE KILLED A t least 12 Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Friday, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said. The gunfight took place in the forest near Pidia village under Gangaloor police station limits when a team of security personnel was out on an antiNaxal operation. This is the third major blow to the Maoists in Chhattisgarh in the last one month. RANA BOOKED FOR REMARKS B JP leader Navneet Rana as booked for her remarks against the Congress during a campaign rally. Canvassing for fellow BJP candidate Madhvi Latha, who is contesting the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat, Navneet said every vote cast in favour of the Congress will be a "vote for Pakistan". Confirming the registration of the FIR against her, the police informed that they acted on a complaint and not suo motu. Earlier, while responding to AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi's statement that it would take them all of '15 minutes' to balance out the "Hindu-Muslim ratio" in the country, Navneet hit back at the Owaisi brothers, saying "it would take us 15 seconds if the police were removed or made to stand down". Telangana CM has urged the EC to arrest the BJP leader for her "provocative statement" and alleged that the BJP was attempting to stoke communal tension. DRAVID’S STINT AS COACH ENDS T he Board of Control for Cricket in India Secretary Jay Shah confirmed that the board will call for applications for the position of head coach on a long-term basis as Rahul Dravid's tenure will conclude in June this year. After India's hope of lifting the ODI World Cup was shattered last year, Dravid was offered an extension till the T20 World Cup. With the marquee event kicking off in June in the USA and the West Indies, Shah confirmed that BCCI will call for applications before the beginning of the tournament and if Dravid wants to extend his stay he could re-apply for the position. 75 FLIGHTS OF AI EXPRESS SPIKED T he cabin crew shortage persisted despite a section calling off the strike and Air India Express had to perforce cancel 75 flights on Friday. According to sources, operations are expected to normalise only by Sunday. The revenue loss accruing from the flight cancellations and compensation to be paid to passengers is likely to be around Rs 30 crore. There was no comment from the official spokesperson of Air India Express. On Saturday, an additional 45 to 50 flights are likely to be cancelled, according to an unnamed official, reports PTI. AMRITPAL SINGH WILL CONTEST W aris Punjab De leader Amritpal Singh, who is lodged in Assam’s Dibrugarh jail, filed his nomination as an independent candidate from Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha constituency on Friday. The nomination was filed on his behalf by Harjot Singh, the lawyer of the Khalistani separatist, his relative Sukhchain Singh and five others, at the office of the District Returning Officer in Khadoor Sahib. According to the law, a jailed candidate who wins the elections can be released from jail to take oath as there is no provision to administer the oath inside the prison. Check out our verdict on films and OTT releases EDIT MUSLIM POPULATION MYTH IS DANGEROUS RBI LIKELY TO TRANSFER RS1 TRILLION TO GOVT IN FY25: REPORT RBI is anticipated to maintain a robust dividend payout for FY25 CAGE-RIWALoffice & signing filesTILL JUNE 1 FREE BIRD Barred from attending GAURAV VIVEK BHATNAGAR / NEW DELHI Acknowledging that a more holistic and libertarian view is justified, in view of the General Elections, the Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till June 1, the last day of voting in the sevenphase polls. Kejriwal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi liquor policy case on March 21, has been lodged in Tihar Jail since April 1. "The appellant – Arvind Kejriwal -- is the Chief Minister of Delhi and a leader of one of the national parties. No doubt, serious accusations have been made, but he has not been convicted. He does not have any criminal antecedents. He is not a threat to the society," the judgment stated. The decision was welcomed by various political parties and individuals alike. Some pointed out that if rape convict Ram Rahim could be granted parole thrice in 2023, BRIJ BHUSHAN TO FACE TRIAL FPJ DESK / NEW DELHI A Delhi court on Friday ordered framing of sexual harassment and other charges against former Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a case lodged by female wrestlers, observing there was "sufficient evidence" against him. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Priyanka Rajpoot ordered framing of charges against Singh, a multiple-term Lok Sabha MP under sections 354 , (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC. The court, however, dis- charged Singh in a complaint filed by one of the six women wrestlers, citing lack of sufficient evidence. The charges will be framed on May 21. It also ordered framing of charges against co-accused and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar. The Delhi Police had filed a charge sheet in the case against Singh, a six-time MP , on June 15. CONTD. ON NATION Sunrise : 06:06 am Sunset : 07:04 pm Dabholkar killers get life sentence CHARUL SHAH JOSHI / MUMBAI SC relief for Modi won’t make it: Rahul ‘encounter specialist’ BISWAJEET BANERJEE KANNAUJ The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to former Mumbai Police encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma in the 2006 Lakhanbhaiya fake encounter case. A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and Prashant Kumar Mishra asked Sharma to surrender before the Mumbai sessions court in a week for release on bail. Sharma was also one of the 10 persons who were arrested by the National Investigation Agency in 2023 in connection with the Antilia bomb scare case and the murder of Mansukh Hiren, who was considered a weak link in the conspiracy CONTD. ON NATION . 0 ■ 3 alleged conspirators acquitted ■ Court says Police & CBI failed to track down mastermind behind murder what harm would come if interim bail is given to Kejriwal, who is the elected chief minister of a state and has no criminal record. `21 days here will not make any difference’ The Bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta granted interim bail to Kejriwal after listening to both sides. While pronouncing its verdict, the apex court noted the delay in Kejriwal’s arrest and reasoned that giving him a little more time outside would not make much of a difference. CONTD. ON NATION DHARMESH THAKKAR / MUMBAI 0 33 c. 30 c. In a fiery address at a rally in Kannauj, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, proclaiming that the INDIA bloc will storm Uttar Pradesh and that Modi will not return as the prime minister. A powerful confluence of political leaders from the INDIA bloc descended upon Kannauj district, as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and AAP leader Sanjay , Singh, joined forces in a shared electoral campaign. CONTD. ON NATION The Pune sessions court convicted two accused persons and acquitted three others on Friday for the murder of ra, tionalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar (69) on August 22, 2013. The court sentenced two persons – Sachin Andure, 33, and Sharad Kalaskar, 28, – to life imprisonment. In addition a penalty of Rs 5 lakh each was imposed on the duo. However, the court acquitted alleged conspirators Dr Virendra Tawde, advocate Sanjiv Punalekar and Vikram Bhave, for want of evidence. The court observed that the Pune police and the CBI had failed to track down the mastermind behind the murder. Investigators had also failed to find the pistol that had been used to fire at Dr Dabholkar. Ten years ago, while Dr Dabholkar was taking his usual morning walk at Omkareshwar Bridge in Pune at 7.30am, two motorcycle-borne men had gunned him down. The prosecution had alleged that Tawde was a member of the Sanatan Sanstha which was upset with Dabholkar for his remarks on certain Hindu religious practices and, thus, had allegedly conspired to kill him. The court however, said that there was not enough evidence to prove Tawde’s role in the crime and the agency had failed to track the mastermind of the case. CONTD. ON NATION PM leaves window ajar for ‘nakli’ parties FPJ NEWS SERVICE / NANDURBAR Possibly looking at the postpoll scenario, PM Modi on Friday signaled that rather than gravitating towards the Congress, as Sharad Pawar had predicted in an interview, smaller parties should ‘‘come to Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde.’’ "A big leader, who is active for 40 to 50 years, is worried about the scenario that will unravel after the results are out in Baramati (Lok Sabha seat). He says that after June 4, smaller parties, in order to survive, will merge with the Congress," Modi said, without naming Pawar. "This means the ‘nakli NCP’ and ‘nakli Shiv Sena’ have made up their minds to merge with the Congress," Modi said, addressing an election rally in Nandurbar district of north Maharashtra. "But instead of dying by merging with the Congress, come to Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde," Modi said, holding out an olive branch. CONTD. ON NATION