● REG.NO. MCS/067/2018 - 20 RNI REGN. NO. 1543/57 JOURNALISM OF COURAGE `5.00 ● WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 Robert Vadra outside the ED office on Tuesday. ANI MAHENDER SINGH MANRAL NEW DELHI, APRIL 15 THEENFORCEMENTDirectorate (ED) Tuesday questioned Robert Vadra, businessman and husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, for around six hours in connection with a money laundering case linked to a land deal in Shikohpur, Haryana. The agency asked him to join the probeagainat11amWednesday. Vadra, 56, was earlier summoned by the agency on April 8 but he did not appear, following which a second summons was CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 COMMERCE SECRETARY Sunil Barthwal said Tuesday that the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) talks with the US are focused on the exchange of “right facts” and the “true picture” of trade between the two countries. This comes as US President Donald CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 MONEY LAUNDERING PROBE ED names Sonia & Rahul in National Herald chargesheet; Cong says vendetta MOHAMED THAVER MUMBAI, APRIL 15 Amar Bhavan building at Opera House in south Mumbai. Ganesh Shirshekar timetotherespondentsfromtoday to hand over vacant and peaceful possession of both flats to the appellants.” “Shri Nitin Pawar DCP HQ Mumbai Police who is personally present in the court shall file FORECAST TRACK RECORD ■ Predictedrainfall 112% 108% 104% 100% 96% 92% 88% 84% 80% ■ Actualrainfall Normal Range 95 97 Security forces patrol Dhulian area in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, Tuesday. Partha Paul as part of the money laundering probe against Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which publishes the National Herald CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 an affidavit in the form of an undertaking that the vacant and peaceful possession of the two flats shall be handed over to the applicants within a period of four months. Such undertaking shall be filed within one week before the registry office,” the bench said. It further told the police that it had the money and the power to move their staff some other place and pay the rent. “It has come to our notice today... that these two flats are not utilised as offices of the police department but two families are residing in these flats,” the bench observed orally. “We are happy we were able to do justice to the appellants who have been frantically trying to get back their property which the state occupied way back in 1940,” the bench said. The SC order mentioned, “The High Court should have CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 108% 96 99 98 96 94 91 93 106% 88 BENGALURU, NEW DELHI, APRIL 15 Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi are majority shareholders of Young Indian, which is under ED scanner. PTI file 110 97 ANJALI MARAR & AMITABH SINHA NEW DELHI, APRIL 15 THEENFORCEMENTDirectorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet against seven persons, including Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi andRahulGandhi,inconnection withitsmoneylaunderingprobe in the National Herald case. Callingit“politicsof vendetta and intimidation”, the Congress said it would hold protests outside ED offices on Wednesday. While the chargesheet was filed in a special PMLA court on April 9, Special Judge Vishal Gogne on Tuesday examined it on the point of cognizance and posted the matter for April 25. Last week, the ED had served notices to take possession of immovable assets worth Rs 661 crore — in Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow — that it had attached Conditions favourable, 105% of normal rainfall this monsoon, says forecast Seasonalrainfallcategory: <90%:Deficient; 90-96%:Belownormal; 96-104%:Normal; 104-110%:Abovenormal; >110%:Excess Source : IMD MAHENDER SINGH MANRAL & NIRBHAY THAKUR Hand over two flats to owners in 4 months: SC to Mumbai Police THE SUPREME Court last week directed the Mumbai Police to vacate two flats in south Mumbai within four months and hand them over to the owners — a Shroff family — which had in the 1940’s given the flats to the Mumbai Police on rent. Currently,theMumbaiPolice are using the two flats measuring 600 sqft each, located at Amar Bhavan building at Opera House in south Mumbai, to housetheirstaff.Thepolicewere earlier paying a monthly rent of Rs 700 for each flat. While passing the order on Tuesday, a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said,“Wesetasidetheimpugned order passed by Bombay High Courtandallowtheoriginalwrit petition preferred by the applicants. We grant four months PAGES 14, 15 NEW DELHI, APRIL 15 Trumphasconsistentlysoughtto pressurisetradepartners,accusing them of “ripping the US off” on goods trade, but overlooking theadvantagesthatAmericaenjoys in the services sector. “When we engage with the US team, all the facts are on the table, and the negotiations are based on the right facts and the data we exchange with them. That is completely rooted in the 2024 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CHINA ORDERS AIRLINES TO SUSPEND BOEING JET DELIVERIES INDIA, EU WEIGH EARLY HARVEST TRADE PACT RAVI DUTTA MISHRA & SOUMYARENDRA BARIK 2023 Land deal: ED questions Vadra, he says agencies being misused AMID ESCALATING global trade tensions, the Commerce and Industry Ministry is assessing the risks of significant trade diversion from other countries to India and is particularly concerned about the likely surge in imports of US farm produce and factory goods from China, Vietnam and Indonesia into the country, a government official said on Tuesday. 2022 BY UNNY NEW DELHI, APRIL 15 “A recent assessment highlighted the risk of merchandise dumpingintoIndiaduetoreciprocal tariffs amid global trade tensions. Rising US costs may promptexportersfromcountries like China, Vietnam, and Indonesia — all facing US trade deficits—todivertgoodstoIndia, potentially triggering import surges. Additionally, Chinese retaliatorytariffsonUSgoodscould further increase the inflow of US agriculturalproductsintoIndia,” the official said. Unlikeothercountries,China Talks with the US to be based on ‘true picture’ of bilateral trade: Govt 2021 BUSINESS AS USUAL RAVI DUTTA MISHRA & AANCHAL MAGAZINE INSIDE 2020 60 Identified some countries for intense monitoring, says Commerce Secy 2019 145 Before violence in Murshidabad, warning signs on social media RAVIK BHATTACHARYA SHAMSHERGUNJ, APRIL 15 RUMOURS ON WhatsApp groups, fake social media accounts and mass mobilisation came together to form the perfect storm in West Bengal’s Murshidabad, which was rocked by communal violencelastweekinthewakeof the new Waqf law. Followingtheviolence,which claimed three lives, police have blocked 1,093 social media accounts and arrested 221 people. Seniorofficialsfromthestate EXPRESS NETWORK DAY AFTER VIOLENCE, BHANGAR LIMPS BACK TO NORMALCY YOGI: MAMATA GAVE RIOTERS FREE HAND, LATHI IS THE ONLY SOLUTION PAGE 12 police and the district administration, as well as residents The Indian Express spoke to, said that several outfits had called rallies to protest against the new law. The first sign of trouble was on April 8, when protesters clashed with police in Umarpur on National Highway 12 and torched two police jeeps. “When the first incident of violence was recorded, police used tear gas and baton charge to control the situation,” an officer said. But April 11 was different. That day, NH-12 became a war zoneof sorts,withmobsburning buses, private vehicles, police jeeps and kiosks in Sajurmore THE INDIA Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast 105 per cent of the long-period average or normal rainfall in the upcoming June-September monsoon season. If the forecast holds good, this will be the second consecutive year of ‘above normal’ rainfall. Initsfirstlong-rangeforecast for the season, IMD said all the maindriversof Indianmonsoon, including El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, Indian E EXPLAINED 118 Above normal rain likely, says IMD; may spur consumption 2016 90 Govt fears trade war may trigger import surge of US farm, Chinese factory goods 2014 16/04/2025 MONSOON FORECAST 2015 TO SUPPORT STAKEHOLDERS, DGFT LAUNCHES GLOBAL TARIFF AND TRADE HELPDESK 2018 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 2025, MUMBAI, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES 2017 DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA Why it lifts ● sentiments GOOD MONSOON rains are likely to sustain lower retail inflation, particularly food inflation. This along with lower crude oil prices is likely to aid consumption which has remained lacklustre for several quarters. Ocean Dipole (IOD), and snowcover around the North Pole, were favourable. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 INSIDE AMID FACEOFF WITH CENTRE, STALIN SETS UP PANEL ON STATES’ AUTONOMY HEMANT IS NEW JMM PRESIDENT PAGES 7, 11 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 MAHARASHTRA CABINET Urdu isn’t alien, born in this land, Kin of prisonersCLEARS PROPOSAL who die in says SC, clears its use in signboard jail to get compensation Languageisn’treligion,belongstoapeople:SCinAkolacase ANANTHAKRISHNAN G NEW DELHI, APRIL 15 UPHOLDING THE use of Urdu on the signboard of a municipal councilbuildinginMaharashtra, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said language is culture and must not become a cause for dividingpeople,andUrdu“isthe finestspecimenof Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb, or the Hindustani tehzeeb”. The bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K Vinod Chandran refused to interfere with the Bombay High Court’s findingthattheuseof Urduisnot prohibited under the Maharashtra Local Authorities (OfficialLanguages)Act,2022,or in any provision of law. A former councillor had filed a petition challenging the use of Urdu on the signboard of the PaturMunicipalCouncilbuilding in Akola district of Maharashtra. “Our misconceptions, perhapsevenourprejudicesagainst a language, have to be courageously and truthfully tested against the reality, which is this great diversity of our nation: our strength can never be our weakness. Let us make friends with Urdu and every language,” the SC said. Thecourtsaiditisa“misconception that Urdu is alien to India”, adding that “it is a language which was born in this land”. Writingforthebench,Justice Dhuliaelaboratedonthebench’s views on Urdu and languages in general. “Language is not religion. Language does not even represent religion. Language belongs to a community, to a region, to a people; and not to a CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE MUMBAI, APRIL 15 THEMAHARASHTRACabineton Tuesday cleared a proposal to compensate families of prisoners who die in jail. The state governmentwillprovideacompensation of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of a jail inmate who dies of unnatural causes in custody. In case an inmate dies by suicide in custody, his or her family will get a financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh, as per the policy. The decision on compensation was taken on the basis of a longstanding directive issued by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) way back in 2014. A compensation of Rs 5 lakh willbegivenif thedeathof aninmate is caused in an accident, medical negligence, assault by jail officials or fight between prisoners. “If the jail administration’s negligence is proved in such cases, the kin of the deceased inmate will be given Rs 5 lakh as compensation. If an inmate dies by suicide, the kin of deceased will get Rs 1 lakh,” a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said. The alleged suicide of an CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Dharmender, Sunny & a spin: Bobby aka Digvesh Rathi, IPL’s latest star PAGE 1 ANCHOR NIHAL KOSHIE NEW DELHI, APRIL 15 DHARMENDER, AN assistant at a shop selling building materials, named his first two sons — what else, Sunny and Bobby. Later,hehadathirdone.Pleased, he called him Happy. Earlier this month, in his modest house, in oneof themanybuildingsstanding cheek by jowl in a bylane of Saboli in Northeast Delhi, Dharmender’s life turned into a feel-good sports movie. Bobby,whotheworldknows as Digvesh Rathi, has been this IPL season’s breakout spinner. Picked by Lucknow SuperGiants for Rs 30 lakh, the 25-year-old mystery spinner got the Player of the Match award for his figures of 1/21 in a high-scoring game against Mumbai Indians, in just his fourth game of his debut IPL season. That night, when Bobby was being interviewed, Dharmender shed tears, older brother Sunny had a lump in his throat and mother Manju was in the puja room. The family has been with Digveshthroughhismanystrug- gles and made sacrifices too. BrotherSunny,aformerleft-arm spinner, was equally good at cricket. But Dharmender couldn’t afford two cricketers in the family, so Sunny dropped out. Sunny now works as a police constable at the Mandoli Prison Complex. It’s Sunday, Sunny’s weekly off and he is happy to talk about his brother’s skills and struggles. “He’s here because of his sheer hard work. Digvesh had no godfather,wehadnomoneyorinfluence. We were advised to move out of Delhi. Par bhag kyun jaye (Butwhywouldwerunaway)?,” Sunny tells The Indian Express. (Left) Digvesh Rathi; (above) brother Sunny with father Dharmender, mother Manju at their Delhi home. Nihal Koshie Dharmender says he always believed his son would make it. “Even when he suffered setbacks, he was passionate about thegame,”hesayswhilegivinga quick tour of the small trophy cabinet in the living room. Digvesh’smotherManjusays she is happy to leave everything to God. “I didn’t watch when he played his first game... When he calls,IonlytellDigveshnottoget carried away by success. And I check if he has slept and eaten well,” she says. Sunny narrates the story of how Digvesh, the batsman with a Virender Sehwag-like cover drive when he was 13, took to bowling.Thosedays,hesays,the brothers trained on their own at the Poorvi Delhi Khel Parisar in East Delhi’s Tahirpur, where battingslotswerelimitedandindemand. “When it was Digvesh’s turn to bat, most of the good bowlers were disinterested in bowling because he wasn’t a known name. When he played good strokes against them, their ego was hurt too. Players brought their own cricket balls, sotheydidn’twanttowasteiton him. I would bowl to him for hoursbutfacingonlyonebowler limits a batsman,” Sunny says. Inspired by West Indies CONTINUED ON PAGE 2