MONDAY 24 MARCH, 2025 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard ‘ISRAEL’S PLANS VIOLATE GLOBAL LAWS’ POPE FRANCIS ISRAEL ARMY STEPS UP GROUND OFFENSIVE IN GAZA STRIP BACK HOME AFTER 5-WEEK HOSP STAY Pope Francis returned to the Vatican on Sunday and made a surprise stop at his favorite basilica on the way home before beginning two months of rest. PAGE 9 Israel’s army pressed ground operations across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, urging Palestinians to flee an offensive in Hamas-ruled Rafah city A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS  NEW DELHI  J8.00  PAGES 12 Do not dispose of phone or tamper with data, HC CJ tells judge Varma S H E K H A R S I N G H @ New Delhi DELHI High Court Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya has instructed Justice Yashwant Varma not to dispose of his mobile phone(s) or delete, modify, or tamper with any conversations, m e s s a g e s, o r d a t a . T h e directive conveyed through a formal letter dated March 21 follows an order from Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, emphasising the need to preserve evidence. In a subsequent letter addressed to the CJI, Chief Justice Upadhyaya said he had requested the Delhi Police commissioner to furnish call detail records (CDR) and internet protocol detail records (IPDR) of Justice Var ma’s mobile phone for the past six months. “The call detail records have Kerala BJP bets on Rajeev Chandrasekhar as new chief E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ T’Puram THE BJP has selected former Union minister and businessman Rajeev Chandrasekhar to lead its Kerala unit. The decision was finalised during a meeting chaired by BJP central observer Pralhad Joshi in New Delhi on Saturday party sourc, es said. The BJP’s core committ e e m e t i n T h i r u va n a n thapuram on Sunday to endorse this decision, with attendees including Kerala in-charge Prakash Javadekar and co-incharge Aparajita Sarangi, MP . The official announcement is expected on Monday during the state council meeting in Thiruvananthapuram. On Sunday, Chandrasekhar submitted his nomination before the retur ning officer, Narayanan Namboothiri, at the BJP headquarters in the state capital. Given that Chandrasekhar is the sole nominee, his election on Monday is expected to be a mere formality. He will succeed K Surendran who served as state president for five years, including two years as interim chief. By taking Chandrasekhar on board, the BJP is signalling its focus on securing the uppercaste Hindu vote base. Justice Yashwant Varma been received and are being forwarded in a pen drive along with this letter. As for the IPDR, the same shall be provided as soon as it is received from the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, or the relevant mobile service provider,” the letter stated. The letter stated that a formal request had been made to the DCP (Security) to obtain details of personal security officers and security personnel stationed at Justice Varma’s residence over the last six m o n t h s . O n c e r e c e ive d , t h e s e r e c o r d s wo u l d b e duly submitted. The developments come in the wake of a fire that broke out at Justice Varma’s residence on Tughlaq Road on the night of March 14, leading to the discovery of currency notes in a storeroom inside the judge’s official residence. Justice Varma, on his part, has dismissed the allegations and termed them “a conspiracy to tarnish” his reputation. In a written response to Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya on March 22, Justice Varma stated, “... No cash was ever placed in that storeroom either by me or any of my family members. The suggestion that one would store cash in a commonly-used storeroom verges on the incredible and incredulous.” P3 SUNRISERS’ Smashing Start KISHAN MAKES A STATEMENT Kishan makes his SRH debut with a ton as his team beats RR. A look... After being sidelined from the Indian setup, Ishan Kishan, for his new IPL team, smashed an unbeaten 47ball 106 helping Sunrisers Hyderabad to 286/6. His first IPL century played a part in Rajasthan Royals falling short by 44 runs RECORDS TUMBLE IN HYD In what is one of the flattest grounds of the IPL, bowlers were taken for a ride in Hyderabad on Sunday. Jofra Archer’s 0/76 became the most expensive spell in the history of IPL as four bowlers across sides went over 50 runs NOOR NAILS IT AT CHEPAUK One of the most anticipated combinations this season, Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad showed why he is going to be lethal for Chennai Super Kings as he took 4/18 in four overs against Mumbai Indians at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. His spell helped CSK beat MI by four wickets TWO cousins who had fallen in love allegedly took their own lives by hanging from a tree in Deer Park, Hauz Khas, in the early hours of Sunday with in, vestigators suspecting that the couple resorted to this extreme step after their families disapproved of their relationship. The deceased, identified as a 21-year-old pizza shop staff and an 18-year-old girl, who worked as a babysitter, were found hanging from a tree within the park premises. The police, after preliminary probe, ruled out foul play, attributing the motive to familial pressure urging them to sever their bond. “Their fathers were brothers. Over time, the deceased developed romantic feelings for each other. A couple of days ago, their families had asked them to put an end to their relationship,” a senior police official said. Unable to bear the thought of separation, the duo allegedly decided to end their lives together, the official said. A PCR call was received at 6:31 am from a security guard who stumbled upon the bodies. Investigators found broken cell- RSS general secretary says it is only allowed for backward classes within a religion D E VA RA J B H I R E H A L L I & RA J ES H K U M A R T H A K U R @ B’luru / New Delhi AMID the controversy over the Karnataka government’s decision to introduce a 4% reservation for Muslims in government contracts and projects, RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said on Sunday that the move is untenable as the Constitution does not allow religion-based quota. “Reservation based on religion is not possible; it is possible only for backward classes within a religion,” he said. On the Karnataka government’s decision to bring in a quota for Muslim contractors, Hosabale said such attempts were made earlier by Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, but those were futile as high courts set aside the decisions. “Religion-based reservation is not accepted in the Constitution authored by Babasaheb Ambedkar. Anybody doing it is going against the architect of our Constitution,” he added. The remarks by Hosabale, who holds the second-highest position in the Sangh hierarchy were made in , Bengaluru after the conclusion HDK TO CLEAR JDS STAND TODAY The site near Malampuzha dam in Palakkad where ASI officials found the megalithic structures | ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA ial chambers suggests there could be a large organised settlement at the site and it could shed more light on the region’s history . “Recent explorations near the Malampuzha Dam in Palakkad, Kerala, has led to a discovery of megalithic structures spread across island-like Dara Shikoh was not made an icon. Are we going to move forward by idolising someone who has gone against the ethos of India or are we going to go with those who worked according to the traditions of this land? Aurangazeb doesn’t sit well here, but his brother does,” he said. On the Karnataka government’s resolution pressing the Centre to allocate grants for Scheduled Castes / Tribes in proportion to their population, he said any move for the betterment of society is welcome. Responding to a question on whether the RSS considers the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya as its achievement, he said the shrine is the achievement of the Hindu society as a whole. CAG seeks real-time monitoring of actions taken on audit reports E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ New Delhi PORTAL MAY COME UP A portal may be launched soon for real-time monitoring of actions taken by various departments of the Delhi government on the CAG reports recently tabled in the Assembly . The Accountant General (Audit) has urged the government to set up the portal for real-time monitoring of action taken notes by departments and recently met Assembly Speaker Vijendra Gupta in this regard, officials said on Sunday . As per the process, the audit reports, after being tabled in The Accountant General (Audit) has urged the Delhi govt to set up a portal for real-time monitoring of action taken notes by depts and recently met Assembly Speaker Vijendra Gupta. phones from near the spot. “By inserting a SIM card into another device, police identified the deceased and informed their families, who confirmed their relationship and said that attempts were made to stop them from continuing it,” said the official. The man, from Pilanji village, had been employed at a pizza shop in Lodhi Colony He left home . around 2 pm on Saturday The . woman, from Chattarpur Enclave, had been staying with her aunt in Humayunpur for the past three days. She had also left home around the same time. the Assembly are discussed in , the Public Accounts Committee. Then the departments concerned submit action-taken reports on the CAG findings within three months. The Accountant General (Audit) vets it in one month from the date of submission of the notes. Fathers of the deceased were brothers. But they developed feelings for each other. They were told to end their ties 2-3 days ago by their kin. They had left their respective homes around the same time on Saturday Police official ASI discovers 110 megaliths near dam in Kerala THE Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has stumbled upon a cluster of over 110 megaliths (large stones used to build structures and monuments) near the Malampuzha dam in Palakkad, Kerala, during a recent exploration expedition. According to ASI officials, the discovery could offer more insights into ancient civilisations and their practices. Megaliths indicate significant burial sites, ritualistic areas, or places of cultural importance. Megalithic structures were built using large, rough stones without mortar or cement. Such chambers were common during Neolithic and Bronze Ages. The presence of ancient bur- of the the three-day annual Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, which serves as the highest decision-making body of the RSS. On the demand of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal to remove the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Maharashtra, he regretted that Aurangzeb who was against the ethos of Indian culture is being idolised. “Aurangzeb’s brother Janata Dal (Secular), an NDA ally, is reportedly in a Catch-22 situation as to whether to support Karnataka’s 4% quota or not. Sources said Union minister and JDS state president H D Kumaraswamy will make the party’s stand clear in New Delhi on Monday. “It is likely that JDS will support the BJP on the quota bill,” said a party leader RARE FIND PA R V E Z S U LTA N @ New Delhi NEW SETTLEMENTS IN THE OCCUPIED WEST BANK TO BE CREATED BY ISRAEL Reservation based on religion is against Constitution: Hosabale Couple found hanging from tree in Deer Park, cops suspect suicide pact E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ New Delhi 13 Israel’s Cabinet approved a proposal to set up a new directorate for advancing “voluntary departure” of Palestinians in line with Donald Trump’s proposal to depopulate Gaza P9 mounds. The team of ASI surveyed the area and came across more than 110 me g aliths spreading across 45 hectares of land,” the ASI posted on X. The ASI said most of the burials are of ‘cist’ variety — both single and multiple chambered — stone circles, urns, dolmens, and dolmenoids. “These structures are primarily constructed with massive granite slabs and boulders, some also incorporate laterite stones,” it added. Cist graves are small stonebuilt coffin-like boxes used to hold dead bodies. Megaliths are found across India. Most notable sites include Brahmagiri in Karnataka and Adichanallur in Tamil Nadu. Recently, the ASI discovered a large collection of antiquities at Ratnagiri in Odisha. Prize catch The discovery of such a large number of megalithic burials in clusters could provide more insights about the early Iron Age society and belief system in Kerala, ASI officials said. The rich pottery adds depth to the site’s cultural story However, currently there is a “huge pendency” in the submission of action taken notes by various departments. The Accountant General (Audit) had earlier written to the principal secretary (finance) to explore the possibility of setting up an online monitoring system on the lines of the Audit Pa r a M o n i t o r i n g S y s t e m (APMS). The National Informatics Centre, which has developed the APMS for the Central government, can tweak to suit the Delhi government’s requirements, the Accountant General (Audit) office suggested. TRAFFIC THIS NEWSPAPER TAKES A LOOK AT THE REASONS BEHIND SNARLS Delhi’s roads are under strain, with a high number of vehicles from NCR cities entering the city daily. Cops say despite issuing challans against errant drivers, many don’t comply | P4