TUESDAY 01 OCTOBER, 2024 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard MODI SPEAKS TO BIBI AS ISRAEL STEPS UP LEBANON CAMPAIGN X.com/TheMornStandard Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the situation in West Asia amid conflict in Lebanon INSURGENCY TALIBAN SLAMS PAK FOR HARBOURING I.S. Taliban authorities has captured key members of Islamic State, who were responsible for the recent attacks in Afghanistan, a spokesperson said on Monday PAGE 9 CRUCIAL TO PREVENT ESCALATION, SAYS MODI A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS NEW DELHI J8.00 SC lambasts Naidu for laddu politics S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y TDP DOUBLES DOWN @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Monday criticised Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu for making a public statement that the previous government led by Jagan Mohan Reddy used ghee containing animal fat to prepare laddus at Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati. After going through the lab report, the court said it was ‘the rejected ghee’ that was sent for test and there was no primafacie evidence to show spurious ghee was indeed used for making laddus. TDP said it stands by Naidu’s statement, adding it has proof to show spurious ghee was used. “There is no going back... 100% it was used,” TDP spokesperson said A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan also sought to know if the laddus that were said to have been made using contaminated ghee were tested. “Whether that ghee, of which the sample was not found confirming to the standards, was used in the preparation of laddus?” it asked senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the And- hra Pradesh government. The bench said it was inappropriate on the part of a higher constitutional functionary to issue loaded statements before the conclusion of a probe, adding: “We should keep God away from politics.” It noted that an FIR was registered on September 25 and the SIT was constituted on September 26 to probe the matter, but the chief minister had already made a statement on September 18. “Where was the justification for him (Naidu) to go to the press and says all this, when a probe had already been ordered by the state?,” it said. After Naidu made the controversial statement, several petitions were filed before the SC seeking a court-monitored probe into the allegations. While posting the matter for hearing on October 3, the bench directed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to seek the Centre’s views on whether the state government should go ahead with its probe or an independent investigation is required. Three held for offering CNG stations on residential land U J W A L J A L A L I @ New Delhi THE Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of Delhi Police’s Special Cell arrested three suspects who duped people by falsely promising to install petrol and CNG pumps on their land. The accused, identified as Amit Kumar Pandey (41), Amrendra Kumar (47), and Amar Singh (62), duped a man of Rs 2.39 by promising to set up a CNG pump on his land. While Pandey was identified as the master mind, Singh was a former employee of the Ministry of Petroleum. The suspects approached those landlords who were looking to install a filling station on their land. Police said the well-dressed suspects impersonating as officers would land at the address of their victim and flaunt their connections in the Ministry of Petroleum and offer to install the CNG pump with minimal formalities. T he g ang deceived the complainant by arranging site visits, issuing fake No Objection Certificates, area clearance reports, and invoices to avoid raising suspicion. The site visits were theatrical: some suspects would accompany the gang posing as civil engineers who would pretend to examine the land by measuring it with a tape. DCP (IFSO) Hemant Tiwari said a man approached the IFSO Special Cell in March this year stating that he had been defrauded of `2.39 crore by individuals who promised to install a CNG pump on his land. The complainant stated that in 2021, while searching petrol or CNG pump allotment processes online, he was approached by two individuals, Amrendra and Amit Pandey, who presented themselves as coordinators and agents of Indraprastha Gas Limited. Yashasvi Jaiswal (left) scored 72 while R Ashwin took two wickets to reduce Bangladesh to 26/2 on Day 4 | PTI | P11 RECORDS GALORE IN KANPUR BATTERS GIVE HOSTS POLE POSITION After bowling out Bangladesh for 233, India batters tormented visiting bowlers to rewrite records at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. They broke the record for the fastest team 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 in men’s Test cricket before declaring at 285/9 INDIA BROKE AN ARRAY OF RECORDS TO TAKE THE DRIVER’S SEAT ON DAY FOUR OF THE SECOND TEST AGAINST BANGLADESH RUN-RATE HITS ROOF Throughout their first innings, India’s scoring rate never dropped down below eight which also is the highest in men’s Test innings (min 200 balls). Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (72 off 51) and KL Rahul (68 off 43) slammed a half-century each while skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli scored at a quick pace to give India a lead of 52 runs. R Ashwin then reduced the visitors to 26/2 giving India a hope of victory, which otherwise was heading for a draw after more than two days of no-play Cop hit-and-run case: One accused arrested UJWAL JALALI & SHEKHAR S I N G H @ New Delhi A day after an on-duty constable was killed in a road rage incident in the Nangloi area of west Delhi, the police on Monday arrested one of the accused, an official said. While the accused was identified as Rajnish, alias Sittu, the second accused whose identity the police is yet to share, is at large. The 30-year-old Delhi Police constable named Sandeep, disguised as a civilian to prevent burglaries in the Nangloi area of West Delhi, was killed after being struck by a reckless driver in the early hours of Sunday. The car then dragged him along with his 2-wheeler for more than 10 metres, killing him. DCP (outer) Jimmy Chiram said that a case had been registered and the CCTV footage of the vicinity of the scene of crime analysed. The accused had left their vehicle and fled on foot. “Multiple teams were formed to nab the accused. The police teams conducted several raids in Delhi, UP and Haryana and , nabbed Rajnish,” he said. Efforts are on for the arrest of the second accused, he added. Meanwhile, the wife of one of the accused who the police have detained, has moved the Delhi High Court over her illegal detention. The woman’s counsel informed the court that the Police had taken her into custody, despite the accused having fled the scene. PAGES 12 “Terrorism has no place in our world. It is crucial to prevent regional escalation and ensure the safe release of all hostages,” Modi wrote on X. Meanwhile, a report said Israeli forces have conducted smallscale, targeted raids in Lebanon in recent weeks. The Wall Street Journal reported that the troops entered tunnels dug by Hezbollah on the Lebanese side near border WILLING TO RETURN THE 14 SITES, PARVATHY TELLS MUDA, ASKS IT TO CANCEL SALE DEED Siddu buys peace as wife offers to return all land KARTHIK KK & BALA CHAUHAN @ Mysuru / Bengaluru ON a day the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathy BM and others in the MUDA site allotment case, a letter written by Parvathy to MUDA surfaced on Monday offering to surrender all the 14 plots that are at the heart of the controversy . In her emotional letter to the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) commissioner, which is undated, Parvathy requested swift action to take back all the sites. “I have never sought wealth, property or riches. I have lived , carefully, ensuring that no stain touches my husband’s political career due to my actions,” the letter read. Parvathy mentioned that she had not discussed her decision with her husband, her son — Dr Yathindra, who is an MLC, or other family members. “This is a decision I made after consulting my conscience. The day the allegations surfaced, I had made up my mind to return the plots. However, some well-wishers advised me to reconsider as they believed these accusations were politically motivated. But my decision remains unwavering,” she stated. “The land plots, which were given to me by my own brother as part of our family ties, have turned into a controversy I never imagined that these plots . could cause my husband to face unfair accusations,” she lamented. Earlier in the day the ED’s Bengalu, ru zonal office registered the case under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). ED These properties are like dust to me compared to the respect and peace of my husband — PARVATHY B M, SIDDARAMAIAH’S WIFE sources, on condition of anonymity, said the ECIR has been filed based on the FIR registered by the Mysuru unit of Karnataka Lokayukta last weekend. The Lokayukta police invoked charges of corruption, cheating and forgery against against Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathy his brother-in-law (Parvathy’s , brother) Mallikarjuna Swamy and a former landowner — Devaraju — from whom Swamy had purchased land and gifted it to Parvathy The FIR . mentions charges of corruption, cheating and forgery in the allotment of 14 MUDA housing sites in upscale Vijayanagar area of Mysuru to Parvathy in 2021 after her 3 acres, 16 guntas site in down-market Kesare outside of Mysuru city limits was acquired by MUDA for a layout. Earlier in the day, RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna had lodged a formal complaint with the ED. The 16-page complaint, a copy of which is with this newspaper, refers to a purported windfall of `55.8 crore to Siddaramaiah’s family through questionable means. Krishna alleged that there were ingredients of money laundering by the CM and his family members. The Lokayukta police booked the CM’s family on the direction of a special court hearing cases against current or former elected representatives, on September 25 on the basis of a private complaint by the RTI activist. S U D H I R S U R YA W A N S H I @ Mumbai AHEAD of Maharashtra assembly elections, the state cabinet on Monday decided to give ‘Rajmata Gomata’ status to indigenous cows. The cabinet also approved a proposal by the animal husbandry department to give a subsidy of `50 per day for each indigenous cow. This decision is expected to benefit more than 46 lakh cow owners across the state. A government resolution said, “Since Vedic times, the significance of cows in human life is religious, scientific, and economical and hence it is called as Kamdhenu.” Desi cow milk has high nutritional value and is an important part of the hu- man diet, the government resolution said. The document highlighted the concerns about the rapid fall in the number of desi cows in the state. “The newlyaccorded status to the animal would encourage farmers to raise cows,” it added. Some of the indigenous cow breeds in Maharashtra are Devni and Lalkandari in Marathwada, Khillar in west- ern Maharashtra, Dangi in northern Maharashtra and Gavlau in Vidarbha. There are 46,13,632 desi cows in the state, according to the 2019 census, a drop of 20.69 per cent compared to the earlier census figures. In another major decision, the state cabinet accepted the second and third reports of the Justice Shinde committee, set up to finalise the protocol for issuing Kunbi-Maratha and Maratha-Kunbi certificates based on historical records. The acceptance of the Justice Shinde panel report by the state cabinet is a significant move to placate the Maratha community protesting for inclusion in the OBC category, amid a backlash by backward communities. Mithun Da dances his way into the elite Dadasaheb Phalke club @ Chennai VETERAN actor and BJP politician Mithun Chakraborty will be bestowed with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award—the government’s highest recognition in the field of cinema— this year. Once a sympathiser of the Naxal movement in Calcutta, Chakraborty became a Rajya Sabha MP on a Trinamool Congress ticket in 2014. However, he moved to the ruling BJP in 2021 ahead of the West Bengal Legislative As- sembly election that year. Earlier this year, he was also awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour in the country . Making the announcement on X on Monday Union Minis, ter for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw wrote, “Mithun Da’s remarkable cinematic journey inspires generations! Honoured to announce that the Dadasaheb Phalke Selection Jury has decided to award legendary actor, Sh. Mithun Chakraborty Ji for his iconic contribution to Indian Cinema.” The award will be presented at the 70th National Film Awards ceremony on October 8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reshared the post and wrote on X, “Delighted that Shri Mithun Chakraborty Ji has been conferred the I only wish to tell everyone that if I have reached this far, why can’t you? You should have the dedication and motivation. You should have the resilience to face difficult situations —Mithun Chakraborty ED’s ECIR has been registered based on an FIR filed by the Lokayukta police against the CM, his wife Parvathy, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy and then landowner — Devaraju — from whom Swamy bought land and gifted it to Parvathy VENDETTA TOOL, SAYS CONGRESS “It is no secret that the ED has become an instrument of harassment, vendetta, revenge, and vengeance,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said SPECIAL STATUS FOR DESI COWS IN POLL-BOUND MAHA GOVT’S HIGHEST RECOGNITION EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE ECIR BASED ON FIR BY LOKAYUKTA prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, recognizing his unparalleled contributions to Indian cinema. He is a cultural icon, admired across generations for his versatile performances. Congratulations and best wishes to him.” A star in the 80s, Chakraborty has had a decreased presence on the silver screen in recent times. Although he was part of Bengali-language films like Kabuliwala (2023) and Projapati (2022), his last Hindi outing was the controversial The Kashmir Files (2022). He also served as the head judge or ‘grandmaster’ on the popular dance reality series Dance India Dance from 2009 to 2018. Mithun Da, as he was better known, made his acting debut with Mrinal Sen’s 1976 film Mrigayaa, for which he won the National Award for Best Actor. He bagged two more National Awards for 1992’s Tahader Katha (best actor) and 1998’s Swami Vivekananda (best supporting actor). Mithun Da’s claim to fame, however, was his distinctive dancing style in the 1982 superhit Disco Dancer, which is widely credited for ushering in the era of disco dancing in India through chartbusters like ‘I Am A Disco Dancer’. P7 PUTIN VOWS TO TICK ALL GOALS IN UKRAINE The Russian President said he will achieve all his ‘goals’ in Ukraine and celebrated the second anniversary of annexing four Ukrainian regions, as his Army made fresh advances | P9 EXPRESS READ US opens 2.5L extra visa slots for Indians The US mission has opened an additional 250,000 visa appointment slots for Indian travellers, including tourists, skilled workers and students, a move that will ease the wait time for visa aspirants. More than 1.2 million Indians have travelled to the US in 2024, registering a 35% YoY rise. Punjab mandi agents to go on strike today Over 50,000 commission agents and 8 lakh labourers are set to go on an indefinite strike across all mandis in Punjab from Tuesday, which will hit the paddy procurement operation beginning on the same day. The strike was called to press for revision of commission rates. P8
Express Network Private Limited publishes thirty three E-paper editions of The New Indian Express newspaper , thirty two E-paper editions of Dinamani, one E-paper edition of The Morning Standard, one E-paper edition of Malayalam Vaarika magazine and one E-paper edition of the Indulge - The Morning Standard, Kolkatta.