KALABURAGI FRIDAY AUGUST 23, 2024 `9.00 PAGES 12 CITY EDITION SC TELLS HARYANA, PUNJAB TO PERSUADE FARMERS TO VACATE SHAMBHU BORDER The Supreme Court on Thursday told the states to persuade agitators to remove their tractors and trollies from the interstate border PANEL BEING SET UP TO SOLVE THEIR ISSUES: COURT STATES URGED TO ENGAGE WITH AGITATORS The court told the Haryana and Punjab governments to inform the agitating farmers that a multi-member panel was being constituted for the redressal of their grievances “for all times”. The Supreme Court said the panel may have the power and authority to make recommendations to the state and, if need be, the Union governments on steps to resolve farmers’ grievances ■ The court was hearing Haryana’s plea against a high court order asking it to remove barricades erected at the Shambhu border near Ambala ■ The bench asked the representatives of both Punjab and Haryana to continue engaging with the farmers and directed them to apprise the court about the outcome of such meetings on the next date of hearing September 2 WHEN THE COURT WILL TAKE UP THE MATTER FOR FURTHER HEARING 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 Nod for `12.6K-cr tunnel road in B’luru SC says justice & EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru CM Siddaramaiah and DCM DK Shivakumar at a CLP meet in Bengaluru on Thursday Cabinet to ‘advise’ Guv on cases against Oppn netas The Cabinet decided to “advise’’ the governor to decide on giving approval for proceedings in cases pending before him. They include cases related to HD Kumaraswamy, Shashikala Jolle, Janardhan Reddy and Murugesh Nirani. P4 THE state cabinet on Thursday granted administrative approval for construction of an 18.5km tunnel road from Hebbal to Central Silk Board Junction on Hosur Road at an estimated cost of Rs 12,690 crore. The cabinet also approved a 250-foot tall skydeck project in Bengaluru to be built at a cost of Rs 500 crore. A cabinet note stated that the proposal was for an underground vehicular tunnel in a twin-tube mode. Initially, 11 high-density corridors were identified and a 191-km tunnel road estimated at Rs 30,000 crore was planned. The project will be implemented in phases. The tunnel road from Esteem Mall in Hebbal to Central Silk Board Junction will be implemented in the first phase. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil told reporters that no agency has been finalised to implement the project. “After the administrative approval, a detailed project report (DPR) will be prepared and sent to the technical com- mittee. Then, a tender process will be initiated. It will again be placed before the cabinet,” he said. It is a dream project of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who is also Bengaluru Development Minister. On the skydeck project, Patil said that a decision on its location is yet to be taken. “We did not discuss the location at the cabinet meeting. Skydeck’s DPR is not ready,” he said. The skydeck provides tourists and visitors a panoramic view of the city. It will have stores, restaurants and parking zones. Lokayukta police grills Shivakumar in DA case EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru DEPUTY Chief Minister and KPCC president DK Shivakumar on Thursday accused Lokayukta police of tormenting him by posing a series of questions during investigation into the alleged disproportionate assets (DA) case, that was entrusted to them by the Siddaramaiah government. The state had withdrawn sanction granted to CBI to probe the case by the previous BJP government. Speaking to the media after he was grilled for over two hours by Lokayukta police in the DA case, Shivakumar said the CBI never summoned him or sought any details when the case was with it, but Lokayukta police are tormenting him by asking several questions. It appears the CBI is better than Lokayukta police, he added. Replying to queries, he disclosed that he was summoned to appear on August 21 but was unable to since he had to offer bagina at Almatti reservoir. Therefore, he requested the investigation officer to allow him to appear on Thursday, and it was accepted. Accordingly, he appeared before the IO who is said to have asked him several questions which he answered. Refusing to divulge details sought during questioning by the investigating agency Shiva, kumar said he was asked to provide a few more documents by Lokayukta police in support of the documents already submitted, and he has requested them to give some time. Lokayukta sources said Shivakumar was summoned since they needed clarifications for the schedules of properties he had already submitted. Since the schedules are voluminous, the IO has sought more details from Shivakumar, sources said. This was his first appearance before Lokayukta police since the case was entrusted to them. After coming to power in the state, the Siddaramaiah government withdrew sanction given by the previous BJP government to the CBI, to prosecute him in the DA case and entrusted it to Lokayukta police. Meanwhile, the CBI has challenged withdrawal of sanction before the Kar nataka HC, which is under consideration. TIES POLISHED Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk ahead of their summit meeting in Warsaw on Thursday | P7 1 2 3 STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP DEFENCE PRODUCTION ACTION PLAN ANNOUNCED India and Poland upgraded ties to the level of a “strategic partnership” and inked a social security pact to promote the mobility of skilled workers Donald Tusk expressed Poland’s eagerness to be a key partner in India’s aim to boost domestic defence production and modernise its armed forces 5-year action plan announced for strategic partnership in defence, trade, agri-tech, energy, green technology, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals and mining med can’t stop, urges end to stir CBI status report says crime scene at RG Kar where doc was killed, was tampered with S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi THE CBI in a status report on its probe into the rape and murder of a trainee doctor on August 9 at the RG Kar Medical and College Hospital in Kolkata, told the Supreme Court on Thursday that the crime scene was altered and tampered with. Initially the Kolkata police told the parents that it was suicide, but later they said she was murdered. Taking the CBI report on record, a threejudge bench led by the Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud appealed to the protesting doctors to return to work, saying justice and medicine cannot afford to be stopped. “We earnestly appeal to all doctors. We are here to ensure their safety and protection. Please trust us, that is why we have not left the matter to the (Calcutta) High Court,” the bench said. It also directed a Sealdah court to pass its order on the CBI’s application for a lie detector test on accused Sanjoy Roy by Friday . The court directed the states not to take any coercive steps and adverse action against the protesting doctors. “How can public health infrastructure function if doctors don’t return to work?” the court wondered. It asked the health ministry to convene a meeting with the Chief Secretaries of states and Directors General of Police to ensure the safety of the doctors willing to return to work. The meeting should be completed within a week and states shall take remedial measures within two weeks, the court said. While directing states not to disrupt peaceful protests, it said, “the order should not be misconstrued to mean that the authorities are precluded from exercising their regulatory powers in accordance with law.” The bench, however, categorically said peaceful protests should not be disrupted. Justice J B Pardiwala, a member of the bench, expressed concern at the manner in which the police handled the case. The postmortem was conducted on August 9 between 6.10 pm and 7.10 pm though the case of unnatural death was registered at 11.30 pm and the FIR recorded at 11.45 pm. Autopsy means unnatural death, yet the case was recorded later. “The entire procedure followed by the police is something I have not come across in my 30 years of career,” he remarked. What is the reason the FIR is lodged almost 14 hours after the discovery of the body? The most important thing is that the principal of the college should have come straightaway to the college and directed the filing of the FIR. Who was he in touch with? What was the purpose? SC bench to WB counsel CONSIDER ALL SUGGESTIONS National Task Force formed by the SC will take note of the suggestions of all stakeholders while formulating a national protocol for the safety of healthcare professionals PORTAL TO POOL IDEAS The bench directed the govt to open a portal for stakeholders to submit their suggestions for the task force AL-QAEDA Delhi Police busts terror module, arrests 14 from 3 states U J W A L J A L A L I @ New Delhi THE Special Cell of Delhi Police, in coordination with its counterparts in Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, busted an Al-Qaeda-inspired terror module and detained 14 people, including six who were undergoing training in handling weapons. Al-Qaeda is a banned terrorist organisation listed in the first schedule of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). It is proscribed under Section 35 of the UAPA. A senior police officer said the module, as per the current state of operations, was being led by one Dr Ishtiyaq based in Ranchi, Jharkhand. “It was aspiring to declare Khilafat and execute serious terrorist activities within the country the of,” ficer said, adding the members of the module had received “indoctrination” and weapons training at various locations. Police have also recovered arms, ammunition, and objectionable literature. The six individuals who were being trained in weapon handling were nabbed from Bhiwadi in Rajasthan. Eight more persons were detained from Jharkhand and UP for questioning. Multiple teams of the anti-terror unit are interrogating the suspects at various locations. “As the interrogation is going on, more arrests are anticipated,” said an official. Last year, a Delhi court had convicted four operatives of AlQaida in Indian Subcontinent for conspiracy to commit terror acts across the country and recruiting members for the terror group. The convicts, identified as Mohd Asif, Mohd Abdul Rehman, Zafar Masood, and Abdul Sami, were convicted under Sections 18 and 18B of the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. DKS: Water tariff hike Congress, NC finalise seat-sharing for J&K polls inevitable in Bengaluru F AYA Z W A N I @ Srinagar E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Bengaluru DEPUTY Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar said on Thursday that an increase in water tariff is inevitable in the city as the last revision was done 13 years ago. Shivakumar was speaking at a function to inaugurate a campaign,”Cauvery water at your doorstep”, organised by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) here. The deputy chief minister said, “People don’t remember good deeds. They use water as long as it is available to them. While many pay for it, some don’t. People abuse, complain and post messages on social media if they do not get water. But they don’t understand how BWSSB is struggling to manage water supply in Bengaluru. A water tariff hike is inevitable and I will do it even if people or opposition parties oppose or protest against it. If we do not increase, BWSSB will not survive.” EXPRESS READ Race walker Bhawna handed 16-month ban New Delhi: Top Indian race walker Bhawna Jat has been handed a 16-month ban for whereabouts failure by the Anti-Doping Disciplinary (ADDP) Panel of the NADA after she committed the offence in August last year. Farmers seize furniture from Belagavi AC office Belagavi: Farmers, whose lands were acquired during expansion of Belagavi airport, seized furniture and computers from the Belagavi Assistant Commissioner’s office on Thursday, over the government not clearing their dues | P5 THE Congress and National Conference (NC) on Thursday finalised their seat-sharing agreement for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls. The announcement came after the meeting of top Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi with NC’s Farooq and Omar Abdullah. “The Congress leadership deliberated with the Abdullahs on forging a pre-poll alliance for the Assembly polls. Both parties discussed the issue in detail and decided that forging alliance is a must to keep divisive forces away,” a Congress Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge in Srinagar on Thursday | ZAHOOR PUNJABI leader told this paper. While the exact number of seats allocated to both parties was not revealed, sources said the Congress will fight from most of the 43 seats in Jammu while NC will focus on the Valley . The three-phase elections to the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will be held on September 18, September 25 and October 1. The results will be declared on October 4. Of the 90 seats, 47 are in Kashmir and 43 in Jammu. Kharge and Rahul arrived in Srinagar on Wednesday. On Thursday they visited the Gup, kar residence of Farooq to meet him and his son Omar. During the meeting, Rahul stressed on the restoration of J&K’s statehood. Taking a dig at the Modi government for downgrading J&K state into a Union Territory he said it was , the first time in the country’s history that a state was converted into a UT. After the meeting, Farooq Abdullah told reporters that the Congress, NC and CPI(M) are on the same page and will fight the Assembly elections together. According to sources, CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami is likely to contest from Kulgam in south Kashmir. This seat will be spared for him by the NC. ASSAM BILL TO REPEAL MUSLIM MARRIAGE ACT To end child marriage, the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led govt in Assam on Thursday tabled a bill in the Assembly to repeal a British-era law to register marriages and divorces of Muslims B’luru road rage: Duo in car chase No ‘satisfactory replies’ to sharp questions from Waqf bill JPC members delivery boy, knock him down P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru A road rage incident turned fatal for a 21-year-old delivery boy in the city. He was knocked down by two carborne men at Sapthagiri Layout near GKVK in Vidyaranyapura police limits on Wednesday around 8 pm. The city police arrested the duo and booked them for murder. Mahesh, a resident of Chamundi Layout near Kodigehalli, who was riding a bike, was reportedly chased by the accused in their car after a minor accident. After chasing him for 2 km, the car-borne duo rammed the bike from behind. The impact was such that Mahesh was flung into the air and he fell on the compound of a house after hitting a roadside pole. Mahesh, who was not wearing a helmet, sustained head injuries and died on the spot. The car and the bike came to a halt after hitting the compound wall. The accused, Aravind, 28, a manager with a private bank, and Channakeshava, 28, a private firm staffer, were produced in court, which remanded them in police custody for three days. Both are said to be friends and residents of Kodigehalli. Aravind was reportedly driving the car. Mahesh, a college dropout, worked as a delivery boy He along with his . friends Nikhil and Balaji were riding the bike on GKVK main road when Aravind started honking as Mahesh was blocking his way . AMID fierce attack from Muslim bodies, the first meeting of the JPC on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill saw dissenting voices from various Opposition members as well as NDA allies on the proposed law. Though the TDP supported the bill in the Lok Sabha, it called for wider consultations during the JPC meeting, said sources. Early this week, TDP Parliamentary party leader and JPC member Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu told this paper that the party has begun consultations with all communities, including Muslims about their concerns. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board claimed that TDP’s Chandrababu Naidu and JDU’s Nitish Kumar have assured Muslim bodies that their parties would oppose the Waqf Bill. It also said it will launch a nationwide movement if the bill is not withdrawn. Another BJP ally, the LJP (Ram Vilas), said the Muslim community’s concerns should be addressed and pitched for more consultations. Speaking to this paper, some of the MPs said that the ministry failed to give ‘satisfactory replies’ to the queries raised in the meeting. YSRCP’s V Vijaysai Reddy also raised objections to several clauses of the bill, according to sources. Several Opposition members questioned the proposed amendments such as empowering district collectors in deciding on the ownership of a disputed land, and to induct non-Muslim members on Waqf boards. Committee Chairperson Jagdambika Pal described the meeting, which went on for over six hours with a lunch break, as ‘fruitful’.
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