SAMBALPUR SATURDAY AUGUST 17, 2024 `9.00 PAGES 16 CITY EDITION DELHI HC CLIPS WFI, DISSOLUTION OF AD-HOC PANEL ‘UNWARRANTED’ AD-HOC PANEL BACK IN PLAY FOR WRESTLING The Delhi High Court restored the IOA’s ad-hoc committee’s mandate for Wrestling Federation of India on an earlier plea by wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Satyawart Kadian. A multi-member panel is to be formed by the Indian Olympic Association to ensure day-to-day running of the sport in the country The court has asked WFI to abstain from administering and managing the day-to-day activities with immediate effect ■ WFI HARD TO PREDICT WHAT FUTURE HOLDS: VINESH ■ Vinesh Phogat, who retired last week, wrote in an emotional post, “I can’t predict what the future holds for me... but I am sure that I will continue to fight always for what I believe in and for the right thing.” Under ‘different circumstances’, the 29-year-old said in a long statement, ‘... could see myself playing till 2032’. THE WRESTLING BODY WILL CHALLENGE THIS HIGH COURT ORDER CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOGGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Khurania is new DGP, assures best police service A S I S H M E H TA @ Bhubaneswar THE Odisha government on Friday appointed 1990-batch IPS officer Yogesh Bahadur Khurania as the state’s new director general of police (DGP). After the Union Public Service Commission recommended three names for the top post, the government picked Khurania as DGP and head of police force (HoPF). Khurania who was serving as special director general of Border Security Force (BSF)’s western command in Chandigarh returned PUNE New DGP YB Khurania meeting CM Mohan Charan Majhi after assuming charge to his parent cadre on August 2. At BSF, he played an important role in securing India’s borders and preventing cross-border crimes. After taking charge, Khurania said his efforts would be provide NEW DELHI best police services to the people of the state. “The Chief Minister has instructed that people coming to police stations must be received with respect and accorded the best of the behaviour and we will ensure officers follow it,” he said after meeting CM Mohan Charan Majhi. The new DGP said Odisha Police has achieved great success in curbing left-wing extremism (LWE) and efforts to strongly combat the same will continue in the coming days. “The main responsibilities of PATNA HC whiplash at govt failure to deal with the Kolkata mob S U L A G N A S E N G U P TA @ Kolkata THE Calcutta High Court on Friday came down like a ton of bricks on the West Bengal administration for its abject failure in handling a midnight mob that ransacked the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and terrorised its staff. The mob attack happened at a time when a massive midnight protest was on elsewhere in the city over the horrific the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in the hospital on August 9. The court directed the police and the hospital authority to file affidavits on the incident. A division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam NOD TO METRO PROJECTS IN 3 CITIES, 2 AIRPORTS The Centre on Friday approved three big-ticket Metro projects for prominent cities — Bengaluru, Pune and Thane — costing `30,765 crore and two airports for Patna in Bihar and Bagdora in West Bengal, which are currently handling commercial flights, primarily defence facilities | P9 said it was hard to believe that the police intelligence did not have information about the gathering of 7,000 people at the health facility, when the state’s lawyer told the court the administration did not expect such a massive mob in the wee hours of Thursday . The bench said the police should place on record the entire sequence of events that led to the vandalism in the hospital. “You pass Section 144 of the CrPC orders for any reason. When so much commotion is going on, you should have cordoned the area. 7,000 people can’t come walking,” the bench said. It also directed the CBI to file an interim report on the progress of investigation into the rape and murder of the woman doctor. Meanwhile, the CBI questioned Dr Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar, in the rape and murder of the trainee doctor. He was picked up around 8.30 am and taken to the CGO complex in Salt Lake for interrogation. The CBI had summoned Ghosh several times for questioning, but he had been evading them. Seen as close to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Ghosh is several charges. Mamata, who led a protest march demanding justice for the doctor, accused the CPI(M) and the BJP of orchestrating vandalism at the hospital. The BJP, too, staged rallies across the state, demanding Mamata’s the resignation. police are to maintain law and order, investigate and control crimes. Scientific methods and advanced technology will be used to probe crimes and special importance will be given on offences against women and children and people belonging to SC and ST Communities,” said Khurania. He pointed out that cyber crimes which witnessed a significant spurt will receive special attention too. Steps will also be taken to stifle drug trafficking in the state, added the 1990 batch officer. CONTINUED ON P7 CHENNAI Resident doctors staging protests seeking justice for the doctor who was raped and murdered at a Kolkata hospital | PTI HC JUDGE: LAW & ORDER SITUATION FAILED “If police are injured, they are unable to control the mob, then the law and order situation has failed,” the Calcutta HC said, adding it was a “sorry state of affairs” if the police could not protect their own MAMATA: BID TO HIDE THE TRUTH VIA FAKE NEWS “We want the truth to come out. Attempts are being made to hide the truth by circulating fake news. We condemn it. We want the culprits to be punished,” Mamata said IMA: WANT CENTRAL LAW TO PROTECT DOCTORS The IMA made 5 demands, including a overhaul of the working and living conditions of resident doctors and a central law to check violence against healthcare professionals J&K to get govt after 10 yrs, poll dates out Schedule for Haryana also announced; BJP faces resurgent opposition in first major election after the Lok Sabha polls F AYA Z W A N I & H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Srinagar/Chandigarh SETTING the stage for the first popularity test after the Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission of India on Friday announced the Assembly election schedule for Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana. Elections in J&K will be held in three phases starting September 18, while Haryana polls will be held on October 1. Results of both elections will be out on October 4. Of the 90 seats in Jammu and Kashmir, 24 seats will go to the polls in the first phase on September 18, 26 seats in the second phase on September 25, and 40 in the third and final phase on October 1. All 90 seats in Haryana will go to polls on October 1. The announcement comes months after the Supreme Court upheld the Centre’s decision to scrap J&K’s special status and directed that Assembly elections be held by September 30. This would be the first polls in the J&K Union territory after abrogation of Article 370. The polls would end the six-year central rule in Jammu and Kashmir. Almost all political parties welcomed the EC’s announcement. Assembly polls in J&K were last held in November 2014 when the PDP and the BJP formed a coalition government led by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. His death in 2016 led to Mehbooba Mufti becoming the CM. The BJP pulled out of the government in June 2018 and the state was put under governor’s rule. The assembly was dissolved in 2018. In Haryana, the BJP is hopeful @ Bhubaneswar IN view of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) call for nationwide withdrawal of non-essential services by doctors from 6 am on Saturday to 6 am on Sunday medi, cal colleges and hospitals in the state have undertaken preemptive measures to ensure that emergency care is not affected and patients are not subjected to any harassment. Premier medical institutions AIIMS-Bhubaneswar and SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, have cancelled the leaves of faculty members and staff owing to the strike call by the associations of resident doctors and students in protest against the recent rape and murder of an onduty resident doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The strike is expected to impact health services severely as All Odisha Private Medical Establishments Forum (AOPMEF) has also announced to join and stop non-essential healthcare services for 24 hours. The state government on Friday held discussions with various bodies of medicos and faculty members and urged them to work for extra hours to meet the challenges likely to emerge due to the strike call by the IMA, AOPMEF and junior doctors CONTINUED ON P7 associations. J&K Haryana 3 phases Single phase September 18 September 25 October 1 October 1 Result October 4 of forming government for the third consecutive time but it needs to counter a resurgent Congress, which is looking to cash in on the anti-incumbency factor. Apart from the BJP and Congress, the Jannayak Janta Party, Indian National Lok Dal and the Aam Aadmi Party are also set to field their candidates, making it a multi-cornered contest in Haryana. Early this year, the BJP had replaced Manohar Lal Khattar with Nayab Singh Saini as CM to counter anti-incumbency. Saini will be the BJP’s CM face for the assembly polls. Both elections are crucial for the BJP, which is looking to improve its image after its less than expected performance in the Lok Sabha polls. The saffron party is looking to retain power in Haryana and put up a strong show in Jammu and Kashmir, where its strongholds have been traditionally confined P9 to the Jammu division. Now, people will come out in large numbers to participate in the elections National Conference president Farooq Abdullah Maha polls later The EC said Maharashtra Assembly polls will be announced later, citing the need for additional security forces in Jammu and Kashmir elections Yunus dials Modi, says reports on minorities ‘exaggerated’ IMA strike call: Leave of faculty members and staff cancelled to ensure patient care EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE ELECTION SCHEDULE Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi He (Yunus) assured protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minorities in Bangladesh Prime Minister Narendra Modi GLOBAL SOUTH MEET Muhammad Yunus accepted PM Modi’s invitation to join the virtual Third Voice of Global South Summit, being hosted by New Delhi on Saturday. The previous editions of the Summit saw the robust participation of over 100 countries from the Global South BANGLADESH Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus on Friday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the first direct communication between the two after the Nobel Laureate assumed charge on August 8. Modi congratulated Yunus on his new role and asked him to ensure the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh. “Received a telephone call from Professor Muhammad Yunus. Exchanged views on the prevailing situation. Reiterated India’s support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh,” said PM Modi. Yunus said his interim government is committed to safeguarding every citizen of the country , including the minorities. “Situation in Bangladesh has been brought under control and is becoming normal,” he said. During his talk with Modi, Yunus termed the reports of attacks on the minorities ‘exaggerated’, said a statement from Dhaka. He also offered to invite Indian journalists to visit Bangladesh and report from the ground about the actual situation there. NATIONAL FILM AWARDS South Indian films retain hot streak ‘Daman’ gets national award as best Odia film EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Chennai THE 70th National Film Awards announced on Friday reflected the continuing hot streak of South Indian cinema since last year. Malayalam film Aattam won the Best Feature Film award, Rishab Shetty bagged the Best Actor award for Kantara while Nithya Menen (Thiruchitrambalam) shared the Best Actress award with Manasi Parekh (The Kutch Express). Ponniyin Selvan I won several key awards, including Best Music Direction-Background Score (AR Rahman), Best Sound De- sign (Anand Krishnamoorthy), and Best Cinematography (Ravi Varman). This is AR Rahman’s seventh National Award, the most for any music director in India. In the crew awards section, Jani and Sathish Krishnan won the Best Choreography Award for their work in Thiruchitrambalam (Megam Karukatha). Films like KGF Chapter 2, Brahmastra Part I, and Fouja also won aw a r d s i n k e y categories. Apart from the Best Film award, A a t t a m wo n the Best Editing award (Mahesh Bhuvanend) and Best Screenplay award (Anand Ekarshi). The latter was shared with the Hindi film Gulmohar. Responding to the win, Aattam director Anand Ekarshi said, “It feels surreal to even think that our film has won among 300 submissions... To win three awards at the national level is quite overwhelming.” On the other hand, Anand Krishnamoorthy, who won the Best Sound Design Award for Ponniyin Selvan I revealed that he was not aware of the winners list being announced on Friday . D I A N A S A H U @ Bhubaneswar ‘DAMAN’, the critically-acclaimed movie which brought Odia film industry’s focus back to original content, has won the 70th National Film Award in the Best Odia Film category for the year 2022. Written and directed by Vishal Mourya and Debi Prasad Lenka, the film traces the journey of a doctor spearheading the anti-malaria drive in 151 villages under Janbai primary health centre in the backdrop of Maoist violence and prevalence of superstition and quacks. Popular actor Babush- When the film was released, there were doubts in the minds of distributors because the story was quite unlike the run-of-the-mill Odia films Babushaan, actor aan Mohanty played the protagonist with Dipanwit Dashmohapatra in a meaty role in the film which went on to be extremely well-received across the country. The directors of the film will receive Rajat Kamal award and cash reward of `2 lakh each. Released last year, the film is based on a true story that dealt with implementation of the government’s malaria control programme in southern Odisha districts. Made with a budget of nearly `1 crore, it was released not only in Odisha but also across Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Surat, Pune and Hyderabad. It was screened in other countries too. As the film’s positivity garnered mass appreciation, it subsequently was dubbed and released in Hindi. Considering the social message the film gave out, the Odisha government made it taxCONTINUED ON P7 free.
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