FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 14 No. 205 | BHOPAL | TUESDAY | JANUARY 7, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in Sports Avani aiming high, inspiring millions P.15 fp Briefs NEW DELHI CJI recuses from hearing IOA, AIFF pleas Chief Justice of India Sanjv Khanna on Monday recused himself from hearing two separate pleas pertaining to finalisation of the constitutions of the Indian Olympic Association and the All India Football Federation, both framed by former apex court judge Justice L Nageswara Rao. At the outset of the proceedings, the Chief Justice of India (CJI), who was sitting on the bench with Justice Sanjay Kumar, said he would not be part of the bench to hear these cases as he had earlier taken up one of the pleas in Delhi High Court. GUWAHATI Several trapped in coal mine An unspecified number of workers were feared trapped inside a coal mine in Assam's Dima Hasao district on Monday, after a sudden gush of water flooded the site, officials said. The incident took place at the Assam Coal Quarry, situated in the 3 Kilo area of Umrangso in the district. According to employees of the quarry, there were around 15 workers inside the mine, though the authorities did not confirm the number. "Distressing news from Umrangshu, where labourers are trapped in a coal mine. The exact number and status are yet unknown. SURAT AAP leader flogs himself Aam Aadmi Party leader Gopal Italia on Monday flogged himself at a public meeting in Surat in Gujarat as penance for "failing to ensure justice" for the victims of various crimes committed in the BJP-ruled state and to awaken people from their slumber. Seeking forgiveness from stage, the AAP national joint secretary flogged himself by pulling out his trouser belt after citing the recent incident of a Patidar woman being booked and arrested at Amreli for allegedly trying to defame a BJP leader. ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL UJJAIN PRESS PUNE INDORE WORLD Israel, Hamas talk prisoner swap Six-week HC breather for govt to dispel myths BENCHSPEAK Our Staff Reporter Amid ongoing protests regarding the disposal of Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) chemical waste, the High Court has granted the state government six weeks to address public concerns and build confidence regarding the incineration process at Pithampur. The court also issued a directive prohibiting media outlets from publishing misleading or false information about the issue. After hearing the state’s submission, a division bench of Chief Justice SK Kait and Justice Vivek Jain recognised the unrest caused in Pithampur due to the circulation of fake news regarding the waste disposal. Advocate General Prashant Singh, representing the government, requested the time to dispel myths and reassure the public about the safety measures being implemented. The court granted the sixweek period to the state and instructed the media to refrain from spreading incorrect information. It also emphasized Restrains… print, audio and visual media from carrying any incorrect news on waste disposal Clarifies... it had never instructed the government to load the waste into trucks but only directed its safe disposal PITHAMPUR RETURNS TO NORMALCY Normalcy has returned to Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district, which has been rocked by protests over disposal of 337 tonnes of hazardous waste linked to the Bhopal gas tragedy, and the High Court ruling on the issue has brought "great relief", a senior police official said on Monday that it was the state’s responsibility to ensure the safe disposal of the waste as per established safety protocols. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for February 18, 2025. The state government submitted a compliance report, stating that 337 metric tonnes (MT) of UCC waste had been successfully transported to M/s Ramky Enviro Engineers (REEL) in Pithampur, where it is being processed for incineration. The government also sought three days to unload the waste, which had been moved in 12 sealed containers, and to continue the disposal process safely. 4Continued on | P6 Five children test positive for HMPV in K'taka, TN, Gujarat PTI NEW DELHI Five infants tested positive for the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat on Monday, the first reported cases of the virus in India. Union Health Minister J P Nadda sought to assuage fears, saying the government is closely monitoring the situation and there is no reason to worry. HMPV is a globally recognised respiratory virus that recently gained attention after its outbreak was reported in China. It is a viral pathogen that causes respiratory infections in people of all age groups. While the Karnataka, Gujarat, and Maharashtra govern- 2nd arrest warrant against Hasina Dhaka: Bangladesh's International Criminal Tribunal on Monday issued arrest warrants against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 11 others, including former military generals and an ex-police chief, for their alleged role in incidents of enforced disappearances. This was the second arrest warrant by the ICT against Hasina, who fled to India after her Awami League regime's toppling. Govt to go ahead only after HC advice: CM Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Says… it’s state's prerogative to act and ensure safe disposal of waste as per safety protocols ments assured that there was no cause for alarm, the Delhi government directed all hospitals in the capital to remain fully prepared to manage a potential surge in respiratory illnesses with former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal urging the Centre to act swiftly to prevent a potential health crisis. Two cases were detected in Karnataka by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) through routine surveillance for multiple respiratory viral pathogens. A three-month-old girl with a history of bronchopneumonia was diagnosed with HMPV after being admitted to Baptist Hospital in Bengaluru. She has already been discharged, the health ministry said. An eight-month-old boy with a history of bronchopneumonia tested positive for HMPV on January 3 after being admitted to Baptist Hospital. He is now recovering, it said. Neither of the two have any history of international travel, the ministry underlined. In neighbouring Tamil Nadu, two more children tested positive for the virus. These two are the first cases to be reported from the city and are currently undergoing treatment in two hospitals, officials said. The fifth case was reported from Gujarat's Ahmedabad. A two-month-old boy admitted to a private hospital in the city tested positive for HMPV. 4Continued on | P6 4See also | P3 Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has expressed happiness over the high court decision giving six weeks to the government to dispose of UC chemical waste. Yadav thanked the court which accepted the government’s plea to give six weeks for hearing all the parties in the case. Yadav said a decision should be taken keeping in mind the sentiments of the residents of Pithampur and other parties. The high court took the decision, keeping in mind the government’s intentions, Yadav said, adding that he will go ahead in the case only on the basis of the court’s guidance. All the parties should put up their points before the court, he said, adding that the people of Pithampur should also represent their side. Kandahar hijack hero retires Online Report Captain Devi Sharan, the commander of Indian Airlines Flight IC 814, which was hijacked in December 1999, has retired after a distinguished four-decade career in aviation. The 65-year-old flew his final flight, an Air India Dreamliner, from Melbourne to Delhi on December 4. "Now even as a passenger, I will always be looking at people around me to ensure that everyone is alright and nothing's wrong. A creeping doubt will linger on," Captain Sharan said. In an email to his colleagues, Captain Sharan signed off with, "Abhi to party shuru hui hai (The party has just begun)." 4Continued on | P6 B’luru shocker: Techie, wife kill their 2 children before suicide IANS BENGALURU A tragic incident of a software professional and his wife ending their life after killing their two toddlers, was reported from Bengaluru on Monday. The shocking incident had taken place in the limits of Sadashivanagar police station in Bengaluru. The deceased have been identified as 38-year-old Anoop, a software professional from Uttar Pradesh, his wife 35-year-old Raakhi, their children five-year-old Anupriya and two-year-old Priyansh. The domestic help told the police that since the couple's eldest kid Anupriya was a child with special needs, the young parents were distraught. According to police, Anoop worked as a software consultant with a private company. The house help told the police that till Saturday night things had seemed normal and the couple seemed happy. The murder-cum-suicide came to light when the house help came on Monday morning and did not get any response from the family. Police suspect that depressed by Anupriya's condition the couple had taken the decision to end their lives and kill their children before that. 4Continued on | P6 Cheap system for desalinating water Our staff reporter The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore has developed a technology to provide a cost-effective and sustainable water purification system, particularly for remote and underserved regions. Based on advanced materials and solar-driven techniques, this innovative system offers an eco-friendly solution to ensure access to clean and safe drinking water while reducing costs and minimizing environmental impact. With the increasing demand for potable water worldwide, new water treatment methods like Interfacial Solar Steam Generation (ISSG) have gained prominence. ISSG uses solar energy to desalinate seawater, integrating sustainable techniques to en- hance water treatment efficiency with minimal environmental harm. A team led by Prof Rupesh Devan at IIT Indore has made significant progress in desalinating saline water using ISSG technology. Their method combines solar energy with advanced photo thermal materials to purify water economically and efficiently. 4Continued on | P6 E-paper Cinema Golden Globe Awards P.16 UC WASTE DISPOSAL | Govt submits compliance report over waste shifting to Pithampur, gets time to build confidence BHOPAL MUMBAI Edit Delhi poll gets bitter & ugly P.8 IIT-I innovation INDORE NASHIK Trudeau resigns as Canada PM Online Report OTTAWA Justin Trudeau resigned today as the leader of his Liberal Party of Canada effectively ending his nine-year tenure as Canada's Prime Minister too. The move comes amid rising dissent against him within his party. He held a press conference today outside his residence at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa. 8 jawans, driver killed as Naxals blow up vehicle PTI BIJAPUR "I have informed my party and the Governor that I intend to resign as leader of the party as well as prime minister of Canada, and will do so as soon as the my successor is appointed," Trudeau said. "I hereby prorogue the Parliament until March 24 in order to initiate the process of finding a new leader to lead the party and Canada until elections scheduled for later this year," he added. In their biggest strike on security forces in Chhattisgarh in two years, Naxals blew up a vehicle using an improvised explosive device weighing 60 to 70kg, killing eight District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawans and their civilian driver in Bijapur district on Monday, police said. Police suspect the powerful IED was planted long back along the route used by DRG, a state police unit involved in anti-insurgency operations. The explosive device went off near Ambeli village under the Kutru police station area at around 2.15 pm when DRG personnel from Dantewada district were returning in their Scorpio vehicle after an antiNaxalite operation, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P said. Eight DRG jawans travelling in the SUV and the driver of the vehicle were killed on the spot, located around 70km from district headquarters Bijapur, the official added. DRG draws its personnel mostly from local tribal population and ranks of surrendered Naxalites. Reinforcement was rushed to the spot and the bodies were being evacuated. A search operation was launched in the area by security forces to hunt down those responsible for the killings, the IPS officer informed. 4Continued on | P6 Cyber crooks push govt guest teacher to suicide Woman consumed poison and died on way to hospital Our Staff Reporter Probably the first case in the state in which the digital arrest victim ended her life BHOPAL A 35-year-old government guest teacher, Reshma Pandey, ended her life in Mauganj after being threatened with ‘arrest’ by cyber fraudsters. The scammers claimed that a parcel she sent contained illegal materials and pressured her into transferring Rs 22,000 and Rs 50,000 into their accounts. Probably, this is the first case in the state in which the victim of digital arrest or cyber fraud, has ended the life. On Sunday evening, feeling overwhelmed by the threats, she consumed poison in Ghurehata area and died on the way to the hospital on Monday. Police have initiated an investigation into the incident, marking it as a significant case of "digital arrest," a tactic increasingly used by cybercriminals to extort money from victims. Superintendent of Police Rasna Thakur said that cyber fraudsters were constantly pressuring the teacher. “We HC stay on NEET PG second phase seat allotment Court orders reopening of registration Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The principal bench of Jabalpur High Court, on Monday, issued a stay on the seat allotment for the second phase of NEET PG counselling 2024. The court also directed that the registration portal for the second phase be reopened for petitioners who are now eligible to participate in the counselling. The division bench, comprising Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice Anuradha Shukla, issued the order while hearing the petition filed by Dr. Ayush Srivastava and 14 other doctors. The petitioners challenged the exclusion from the counselling process, citing the recent reduction in the qualifying percentile for eligibility. On Ja- have registered a case and a cyber team has begun probe,” the SP said. The deceased’s brother-inlaw Vinod Pandey said that cyber fraudsters had placed her under digital arrest and forced her to transfer Rs 22,000 and Rs 5,500 into accounts the accused gave her. “Thereafter, she consumed poison. The accused claimed she would be arrested if she did not pay the money,” he said. Rs 137 crore swindled in 2 years- In the past two years, cyber fraudsters have swindled a total of Rs 137 crore from the hard-earned money of the people in state, according to a reply given by the state government in the assembly. 4Continued on | P6 MBBS student held for raping batchmate Agencies GWALIOR nuary 4, 2025, the NEET PG counselling criteria were revised, reducing the qualifying percentile for General and EWS candidates to 15, and for reserved category candidates to 10. This revision made a number of candidates who were previously deemed ineligible now eligible to participate in the second phase of the counselling. The second phase of NEET PG counselling commenced on January 1, with the seat allocation results scheduled for January 7. However, candidates who had been previously excluded from counselling due to their earlier ineligibility but now meet the new criteria filed a petition seeking inclusion in the ongoing second phase. Representing the petitioners, Advocate Alok Wagrecha and Advocate Vishal Baghel argued that denying eligible candidates participation in the counselling violated their constitutional rights. An MBBS student of a medical college in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior was arrested for allegedly raping his batchmate, a police official said on Monday. The incident occurred at an old hostel building, the police added." A case of rape has been reported at Jaya Arogya hospital campus under the jurisdiction of Kampoo police station in the district. A woman approached the police station to lodge an FIR against her batchmate. The woman was staying in the girls hostel in the campus for her exams. During this, the accused staying in the nearby Boys Hostel, who was her batchmate called her to meet and raped her," Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ashok Singh Jadon said. 4Continued on | P6 4Continued on | P6