SATURDAY 13 JULY, 2024 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard 138 NIGERIA THE NUMBER OF VOTES REQUIRED TO WIN THE CONFIDENCE MOTION IN PARLIAMENT 16 STUDENTS DEAD IN SCHOOL CAVE-IN Students were trapped under the rubble after the Saint Academy school in Jos North district of Plateau State of the country fell in on classrooms. A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS SC grants interim bail, but CM to stay in Tihar Jail Rouse Avenue Court extends judicial custody of Arvind Kejriwal in liquor case lodged by CBI S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi WHAT TOP COURT SAID Courts can’t ask Kejriwal to step down as CM because of his arrest; it’s up to him to decide The need for interrogation can’t be sole reason for arrest Kejriwal has spent 90 days in jail; larger bench can decide on his plea on illegal arrest Arrest can’t be made arbitrarily and on the whims and fancies of the authorities Arrests should be made on the basis of valid “reasons to believe”, meeting the parameters prescribed by the law “Reason to believe” for arresting a person under PMLA must be furnished to the arrestee tions regarding the “necessity to arrest” under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act raised in the plea need in-depth perusal. The AAP chief has challenged in the top court the April 9 order of the HC that had upheld his arrest in the case. On June 20, he was granted bail by a trial court on a personal bond of `1 lakh in the case. The ED then moved HC the next day and contended that the trial court’s order was “one-sided” and “wrong-sided” and that the findings were based on irrelevant facts. The HC, on June 21, imposed an interim stay on the trial court’s bail order till passing of an order on ED’s application for interim relief. On June 25, the high court had passed a detailed order staying the trial court order. P3 EXPRESS READ Odisha Guv’s son Attempt to murder ‘assaults’ staff in Puri case against Jagan An Odisha government officer has accused Governor Raghubar Das’ son Lalit Kumar of assault for sending an ordinary car to fetch him from the railway station to Puri Raj Bhavan on July 7. Baikunthnath Pradhan alleged he was thrashed by Kumar, his PSOs and friends. P5 A case was registered against former CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, two senior IPS officers and two other officials on charges of criminal conspiracy, attempt to murder and criminal intimidation, based on a complaint lodged by a former YSRC MP. P5 NEW DELHI PAGES 12 J8.00 The trust vote came after K P Sharma Oli-led CPN-UML withdrew support to Prachanda’s coalition government after inking a pact with Sher Bahadur Deubaled Nepali Congress to share power for the remaining term of the government (3 years). Oli will be PM for next 1.5 yrs, after which Deuba will take over RETAIL INFLATION AT 4-MONTH HIGH, INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT UP M O N I K A YA D A V @ New Delhi 8 WITH high food prices refusing to ebb, the country’s retail inflation in June increased to a fourmonth high of 5.08% from 4.75% in the previous month. According to government data released on Friday food inflation surged , to 9.4% for June, while the Consumer Price Index-based retail inflation crossed the 5% mark after three months. Meanwhile, another set of data released on Friday showed that India’s industrial output growth reached a seven-month high of 5.9% in May up from 5% , in April, on the back of a significant increase in electricity generation and production of consumer durables. However, manufacturing growth stood at a lower-than-expected 4.6%. A quick analysis of the retail inflation data showed that the spike in June was largely due to RETAIL INFLATION (%) 7 2023 2024 6 5 4 Jul’23 Aug’23 Sep’23 Oct’23 Nov’23 Dec’23 a 14% month-on-month surge in vegetable prices, which clocked a 29.3% year-on-year growth. The prices of pulses surged 16.1% in June from a year ago. “Inflation for sub-groups — eggs, spices, meat & fish and pulses & products — decreased as compared to May 2024,” said a government release. The Reserve Bank of India, which has the legal mandate to control inflation, has time and Jan’24 Feb’24 Mar’24 Apr’24 May’24 Jun’24 again expressed its discomfort with high food prices. In the previous month, food inflation was 8.7%, even as overall inflation had dropped to a 12-month low. The data released by the National Statistical Office showed that rural inflation is higher at 5.66% urban inflation which came in at 4.39%. On the other hand, food inflation is higher in urban areas than in rural areas, the data showed. ‘NO TROLLING’ RAHUL GANDHI COMES IN SUPPORT OF SMRITI IRANI June 25 notified as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas’ M U K E S H R A N J A N @ New Delhi THE government on Friday notified its decision to observe June 25, the day Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency in the country in 1975, as Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas (Day of Murder of the Constitution) to commemorate the massive contributions of those who endured inhuman pains during that period. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas “will help keep the eternal flame of individual freedom and the defence of democracy alive in every Indian, thus preventing dictatorial forces like the Congress from repeating those horrors”. “It is a tribute to millions of people who struggled to revive democracy said Shah. He said ,” the decision is intended to honour the spirit of millions who faced inexplicable persecution at the hands of an oppressive government. In a post on ‘X’, Prime Minister Modi said the commemoration of Emergency will serve as a reminder of what happened when the Constitution was trampled over. “It is also a day to pay homage to each and eve- 2 linked to fast food joint firing killed in encounter UJ WA L JA L A L I @ New Delhi THE Crime Branch of Delhi Police in a joint operation with the Special Task Force (STF) of the Haryana Police gunned down three gangsters—two of them were allegedly involved in the killing of a man at a food outlet in Delhi last month—police said on Friday . The three, identified as Ashish alias Lalu, Sunny Kharad and Vikki Ridhana, were associated with the Himanshu Bhau gang as sharpshooters. Sources said a gunbattle ensued between the police and the three gangsters on Chinoli road near village Kharkhoda in Haryana’s Sonepat. One of the gangsters fired a shot which hit a Delhi Police officer on his bulletproof vest, shielding him. Officials said Haryana Police had declared a reward on the arrest of these gangsters following a sharp rise in extortion cases across the state. Of the three who were neutralised, Ashish and Vicky were involved in the daring Burger King shootout in Rajouri Garden area last month. Aman Joon (26), from Jhajjar, was killed in the attack on June 18 where assailants pumped nearly 40 bullets into him when he was sitting inside a Burger King outlet. Aman was “deliberately” called to the food outlet as part of a honey trap. Headline grabbing, hypocrisy: Cong In its riposte, the Congress said the BJP govt has been celebrating ‘Constitution Murder Day every day’ in the last 10 years, adding the Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas is “headline grabbing exercise in hypocrisy” | P7 ry person who suffered due to the excesses of Emergency, a Congress-unleashed dark phase of Indian history he said. ,” The gazette notification is- sued on Friday noted that Emergency was declared on Ju n e 2 5 , 1 9 7 5 , fo l l ow i n g which there was “gross abuse of power by the government of the day and people of India were subjected to excesses and atrocities”. Shah said that on June 25, 1975, Indira Gandhi, in a “brazen display of a dictatorial mindset, strangled the soul of democracy by imposing Emergency”. Lakhs of people were thrown behind bars for no fault of theirs, and the voice of the media was silenced, the home minister said. MIXED MONSOON MESSAGE Though Southwest monsoon has already covered India, its spread from June 1 to July 12 is uneven J & K and Ladakh 132.9 (-29) Punjab Uttarakhand 78.7 (-29) Bihar 79.1 (-27) West UP 207.4 (28) West East Rajasthan Rajasthan 70.9 (2) 158.9 (18) 196.5 (25) Saurashtra & Kutch Diu East UP 238.6 (13) Gangetic WB 198.1 (-47) 227.9 (-29) THE government appears to be pulling out all the stops to draw the biggest global leaders in the media and entertainment sector like James Cameron and Steven Spielberg, and the heads of popular social media intermediaries, to a major industry event in Goa in November. Called the World Audio-Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES), the aim is to make its inaugural event as stunning and grand as the World Economic Forum’s annual summit at Davos, Switzerland. Piloted by the ministry of information and broadcasting, WAVES will coincide with the annual India International Film Festival this year. The primary aim is to promote India as a hub of content FIGURES THAT MATTER Global Media & Entertainment (M&E) industry revenue $2.32 trillion in 2022; India's present market size is $26.2 billion Advertising poised to surpass $1 trillion globally Gaming revenues projected to rise from $227 billion in 2023 to $312 billion in 2027. India's gaming sector revenue at present is D122 billion Animation, visual effects, and post-production segment of India grew by 6% in 2023 to D114 billion Music segment in India grew by 10% to `24 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 15% to `37 billion by 2026 Filmed entertainment in India grew by 15% to `197 billion in 2023, with theatrical revenues reaching a record of `120 billion. Globally, 339 Indian films across 38 countries grossed `19 billion Content production market of US, the world's largest, is valued at $250 billion. India should target 10% of its post-production work, equivalent to $7.5 billion over the next decade. In 2023, India produced nearly 2 lakh hours of content across various platforms creation; attract filmmakers to the Indian market, which offers state-of-the-art technological interventions and innovations in film production and post production. Prime Minister Naren- dra Modi is expected to inaugurate the four-day event starting November 21. The curtain raiser event will take place in the national capital on Saturday Union I&B min. ister Ashwini Vaishnaw will chair the meeting. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, ambassadors of various countries and at least 70 industry leaders will participate. “Discussions with top industry leaders will be held to work out modalities and get their inputs for the summit,” said officials. Various conferences, business events, exhibitions, media market place, skill or talent showcase and cultural extravaganza celebrating the vibrant diversity and technology proficiency of the media and entertainment industry are planned as part of the event. Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura 374.1 (-23) Excess +20% or more Telangana Normal +19% to -19% 224.2 (-31) Coastal AP Rayalseema 189 (84) Kerala & Mahe Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry & Karaikal 635.4 (-31) 664.5 (-1) Odisha SI Karnataka Govt hopes to make WAVES with Davos-like do Arunachal Pradesh Chhattisgarh Konkan and Goa 217.3 (1) -3 1164.7 (65) West MP East MP 220.5 (2) 232.2 (-14) Maharashtra 271.4 (11) % Departure Sikkim 280.3 (-7) 194.6 (-25) 166.7 (14) GOA DATELINE Assam & Meghalaya 853.5 161.2 (-47) (18) Jharkhand 346.2 (7) Haryana CHD & Delhi 1244.2 (13) Normal 259.4 266.9 Himachal Pradesh 95.8 (-28) Gujarat region DNH & Daman Total rainfall in India (mm) Actual NI Karnataka PA R V E Z S U LTA N @ New Delhi Prachanda, 69, received 63 votes in the 275-member House of Representatives. There were 194 votes against the motion OLI, DEUBA TO SHARE POWER FOR NEXT 3 YRS PAGE 9 THE Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Delhi excise policy scam. However, the Aam Aadmi Party chief will continue to remain in jail in connection with a case lodged by the CBI. The CBI had arrested Kejriwal on June 26 in the now-scrapped excise policy. On Friday, a trial court extended Kejriwal’s judicial custody till July 25. Kejriwal, lodged in Tihar Jail, was produced through video conferencing before special judge Kaveri Baweja. While granting interim bail to Kejriwal, an SC bench comprising justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta made some sharp remarks about the manner in which the ED makes its arrests. The bench said if there is a wrong application of law, courts can strike down the agency’s decision and such an action will be deemed a review of errors of law. “This would not amount to judicial overreach or interference with the investigation,” it clarified. The bench further observed that the “undue indulgence and latitude to the ED will be deleterious to the constitutional values of rule of law and life and liberty of people”, adding that the power to arrest must be exercised in a fair manner. “An officer cannot selectively pick and choose material implicating the person to be arrested,” it said, adding the sleuths can’t refuse to consider any material that exonerates the arrestee. The bench referred Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest and remand by the ED in the excise policy case to a larger bench, saying the legal ques- NEPAL PM PUSHPA KAMAL DAHAL PRACHANDA LOSES TRUST VOTE 189 (23) 128.9 (74) 221.8 (6) Deficient -20% to -59% Scanty -60% to -99% No Rain -100% Cong leader on Friday took objection to the trolling of the former minister after she vacated her official bungalow | P7 U’khand chief secy summoned over Joshimath house cracks S H E K H A R S I N G H @ New Delhi THE National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Uttarakhand chief secretary to submit an affidavit within six weeks outlining concrete actions taken to address the aftermath of land subsidence in Joshimath last year. The tribunal is tasked with providing effective and expeditious remedies in cases relating to environmental protection, conservation of forests and other natural resources and enforcement of legal rights linked to the environment. The “sinking” of roads and cracks in the walls of residential houses last year led to the displacement of residents and caused extensive property . The tribunal has demanded accountability and remedial measures. Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, along with judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member Dr A Senthil Vel, expressed dissatisfaction with the progress report submitted by the state government on June 19, 2023. “It lacked in substantive action at the ground level. Hence, the problem persists. There is no disclosure about agencies responsible for carrying out routine geological and geotechnical investigations at the state and Central levels,” it said. “Pending projects should be reviewed due to the vulnerability of the areas. The report does not have the details about how many sites have been stabilized,” it said. The NGT’s intervention follows its suo motu registration of the disaster case. SC says ‘non-application of mind by L-G’ E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Friday said that there was a complete “non-application of mind” by L-G VK Saxena in permitting the felling of trees despite DDA’s petition on the critical issue pending before the court. “We should have been told that the L-G had given directions. Cover up went for three days. Affidavit shows that DDA sought L-G’s permission. There is complete nonapplication of mind by the L-G as well,” a bench led by Justice Abhay S Oka observed. The court wondered whether the DDA officials had told him that top court’s permission was required for cutting off trees. It was hearing suo motu contempt proceedings against the vice chairman of the DDA regarding the felling of 1,100 trees in the ridge forest for a road widening project. “First day everybody should , have come to the court and said there was a mistake by us. But cover up goes on. After four or five orders, the truth comes out in the form of a DDA officer’s affidavit. All have committed the mistake including the Lieutenant Governor. Sorry state of affairs,” said the bench. The court said that it realised the L-G’s role when Attorney General R Venkataramani appeared independently, indicating sufficient involvement. Holding the ruling AAP government accountable for felling of 422 trees in the ridge area, the court asked it to devise a mechanism to compensate for the mindless act. P4
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