TUESDAY 28 APRIL, 2026 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard LONG QUEUES AT FUEL OUTLETS AMID FEARS OF POST-ELECTION PRICE HIKE AI MUSK-ALTMAN FEUD GOES TO COURT Panic buying sparks shortage in Andhra Tech tycoons are poised to face off in a trial on the betrayal that blurred the billionaires’ onceshared vision for development of artificial intelligence A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9  NEW DELHI  J8.00 PAGES 12  Motorists thronged petrol bunks in parts of the country on Monday, amid buzz of a fuel shortage and a sharp price rise after the West Bengal polls. These rumours sparked panic buying in Andhra Pradesh, resulting in shortages and more than 400 petrol pumps running dry over the weekend. Long queues of motorcycles, cars and commercial vehicles were seen at many outlets across the state. FTA inked, India to get Forces to stay after Bengal poll: Shah duty-free access to NZ Post-poll violence in the past has resulted in loss of lives and IN what appeared to be an as- destruction of property . surance to West Bengal voters Addressing an election rally who had normalised in Behala, on the post-poll violence, Unsouthern fringes of ion home minister Kolkata, he said, Amit Shah on Monday “Brothers and sisters, Don’t get announced that the go and vote on the Central Armed Para- influenced by BJP. 29th, do not worry After first phase military Force (CAPF) about Didi’s (Mamata poll, BJP has will remain deployed Banerjee) goons. The realised that TMC in the state for 60 days Election Commission will be back in after the second and fi- power for 4th term of India has deployed nal phase of polling. CAPF at every nook The announcement Mamata Banerjee, CM and cranny, and I am came on a day when telling you that even campaigning for 142 seats in though the BJP will come to the final phase ended. Shah has power after the elections, cenbeen camping here for over a tral forces will remain here for week to oversee the BJP’s poll 60 more days.” preparations. He added that if voted to S U B H E N D U M A I T I @ Kolkata Wellington commits $20 billion investment in India over 15 years P U S H P I TA D E Y @ New Delhi INDIA and New Zealand on Monday signed a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) that offers duty-free access for 100% Indian exports to the island nation, which will get market access for 70.03% of the tariff lines covering 95% of the bilateral trade value. The remaining 29.97% tariff lines have been excluded to protect India’s sensitive sectors such as dairy and agriculture. New Zealand has also committed to invest $20 billion in India over 15 years. The pact is expected to be implemented by the end of this year after New Zealand Parliament’s approval. “The investment commitment of $20 billion by New Zealand will further strengthen our cooperation in agriculture, manufacturing, innovation and technology paving the way for , a more prosperous and dynamic future for both countries,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a social media post. Commerce minister Piyush Goyal said that New Zealand has committed market access in 118 sectors and most favoured nation status in 139 sectors while opening dedicated work, study, and holiday visa pathways for Indian professionals, students, and young travellers. An official statement noted that the FTA will significantly boost MSMEs and enhance competitiveness in labour intensive sectors such as textiles, footwear, gems and jewellery, engineering goods, and processed foods. EXPRESS READ ED raids in Punjab over ex-DIG laundering case The ED carried out raids on Monday at 11 locations across Punjab in a money laundering case probe linked to former DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar and his aides, officials said. Among the 11 locations, five are in Ludhiana, two each in Chandigarh and Patiala, one each in Nabha and Jalandhar. The ED has found that there a “structured network of middlemen” in alleged corruption case against Bhullar and others. Heatwave alert, cold water must in DTC buses Amid severe heatwave, the Delhi government on Monday said that all DTC buses would be equipped with cold water, making sure that commuters can access drinking water whenever needed. Water counters will also be set up at bus shelters, offering ORS solutions to people. The labour department directed employers to enforce a mandatory rest period for workers between 1 pm and 4 pm. P3 Commerce minister Piyush Goyal with New Zealand trade minister Todd McClay during the signing of the free trade agreement in New Delhi Monday | PTI KEY TAKEAWAYS $20 billion investment commitment over 15 years Special emphasis on strengthening MSMEs and women-led enterprises India offers market access in 70.03% of the tariff lines, which covers 95% of New Zealand’s bilateral trade India protects key interests in dairy and agriculture; benefit for labour-intensive sectors, like textile and leather India’s current tariffs on sheep meat, wool and coal from New Zealand will be scrapped immediately while duties on seafood and hor ticulture items—including cherries and avocados—will be phased out over seven years. India has cut tariffs on New Zealand wine by 66-83% over 10 years. Tariffs on New Zealand facilitates health and traditional medicine services for the first time Student mobility and post study work visa for STEM graduates, skilled professionals; opens new visa pathway for 5,000 skilled occupations bulk infant formula and peptones will be phased out in seven years. “We have committed to work closely with India to help Prime Minister Modi meet his ambition of increasing the earnings of Indian farmers and growers by 50%,” New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay said. Home minister Amit Shah at Kapil Muni Ashram in Gangasagar, West Bengal | PTI power, the BJP would initiate action against political violence and illegal immigrants. Shah also reiterated the party’s intention to implement a Uniform Civil Code in the state if it forms the government. Iran offers to open Strait of Hormuz if US lifts blockade, defers N-talks A G E N C I E S @ Washington/ Cairo IRAN has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the US lifts its blockade on Iranian ports and ends the war, two regional officials said on Monday. But there will be no negotiations on its nuclear program for now. The proposal was passed on to the Americans by Pakistani officials. US President Donald Trump is expected to hold high-level talks with top security advisors to discuss it, reports said. The Strait’s closure has put pressure on him, as oil and gasoline prices have skyrocketed ahead of crucial midterm elections. However, analysts are skeptical about Trump accepting the Iranian proposal. They point out that lifting the US blockade and ending the war would remove Trump’s leverage in any DAY 59 Shots fired at ship with 17 Indian crew A Togo-flagged oil and chemical tanker was involved in an incident near Oman after warning shots were fired by Iranian authorities, though all 17 Indian crew onboard were safe, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said on Monday future talks with Iran. Sources told CNN that Trump will also weigh his options during the meeting, including whether or not to resume the US bombing campaign. In a related development, Ira- nian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Russian President Vladimir Putin at St Petersburg. He blamed “excessive demands” from the US for the failure of talks. “The US approaches caused the previous round of negotiations, despite progress, to fail to reach its goals because of the excessive demands,” he said. Meanwhile, under a proposed Iranian law, the country’s armed forces would become the authority responsible for managing the Strait of Hormuz. The draft legislation also provides that financial gains from the Strait would be paid in Iran’s rial currency . Reports said Iran tried to persuade Oman to support a mechanism to collect tolls from vessels passing through the strait. Oman’s response wasn’t immediately clear. 2020 RIOTS SC SUGGESTS MEDIATION IN RANI VS PRIYA KAPUR DISPUTE ‘Major contradictions’ in testimonies, 12 acquitted EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE ‘Little purpose’ @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Monday suggested mediation in the dispute about the family trust of industrialist Sunjay Kapur involving his mother Rani Kapur and wife Priya Kapoor. The court observed that a prolonged inheritance battle involving an 80-yearold litigant would serve little purpose and may not be constructive. “Why are you all fighting? You are 80. This is not the age for your client to fight. Go for mediation once and for all, from A to Z. Otherwise, this is a waste,” a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and Vijay Bishnoi told the lawyers of the warring Kapurs. The SC was hearing a suit filed by Rani Kapur challenging the creation of the Rani Kapur Family Trust. She has The dispute is about the family trust of industrialist Sunjay Kapur involving his mother Rani Kapur and wife Priya Kapoor. The SC said a prolonged battle involving an 80-year-old litigant would serve little purpose. alleged that the trust was set up through fraudulent means to deprive her of her estate, including the control of the Sona Group companies. Rani Kapur has claimed in the petition that after she suffered a stroke in 2017, her late son Sunjay Kapur and his wife Priya Kapur took advantage of her condition and confidence and transferred her assets into the trust without her informed consent. She claimed that she was made to sign documents, including blank papers, under the guise of routine formalities. The tussle between Rani and Priya Kapur heightened following the sudden death of Sunjay Kapur in June 2025. The bench, however, suggested a negotiated settlement. “It will be in the interest of all the parties concerned if they go for mediation and try to resolve the disputes peacefully and equitably We ... shall, if necessary, hear the matter on merits. However, first, we should make an attempt to convince the parties to go for mediation,” the court said and fixed the matter for the next week. U D AYA N K I S H O R E @ New Delhi A city court has acquitted 12 men accused of abducting and killing a man during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, citing “major contradictions” in eyewitness testimonies. Additional Sessions Judge Parveen Singh granted the benefit of doubt in the murder of Musharraf, pointing to “weak corroborative evidence”. In an order dated April 21, relief was granted to Lokesh Solanki, Pankaj Sharma, Sumit Chaudhary , Ankit Chaudhary, Prince, Rishabh Chaudhary, Jatin S h a r m a , Vive k Pa n ch a l , Himanshu Thakur, Sahil, Sandeep and Tinku Arora. “Prosecution has failed to prove its case against the ac- cused beyond a reasonable doubt, and the accused are entitled to the benefit of doubt. All the accused are accordingly acquitted of the charges framed against them,” the judge said. The case relates to Musharraf ’s death. His body was found from a drain in Bhagirathi Vihar on February 27, 2020. The prosecution relied largely on the testimonies of the dec e a s e d ’s w i f e a n d daughter. The court, however, found the wife’s conduct “unnatural”. “Neither did she call the PCR nor inform anyone that her husband had been killed. This is highly improbable that in such a scenario she would not disclose, even to her daughter, that Musharraf had been murdered,” the judge said. He further asserted that after May 4, the practice of polygamy would not be permitted in the state. After wrapping up his campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an open letter to the state, said: “Serving and securing West Bengal is my responsibility Turning every challenge . before West Bengal into an opportunity is also part of my destiny I won’t back down from this . responsibility .” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee undertook a 6 km roadshow in south Kolkata, which is part of the TMC’s fortress along with North and South 24 Parganas and Howrah. They account for 91 of 294 seats in the legislative assembly P8 . April 29 paid holiday for govt staff for Bengal voting A N U P V E R M A @ New Delhi THE Delhi government’s labour department has declared April 29, 2026, as a paid holiday for eligible employees to enable them to cast their vote in the second and final phase of the Bengal Assembly elections. The department directed all employers across industrial establishments, factories, shops, and commercial institutions in the National Capital Territory of Delhi to grant leave with pay to employees registered as voters in West Bengal. “The Election Commission vide their communication dated 16.03.2026 has announced General Elections for Legislative Assemblies of West Bengal (Phase-II) to be held on 29.04.2026 (Wednesday) to be declared as ‘paid holiday’ under section 135(B) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951,” the order said. The directive underscores employers’ legal obligation to facilitate voter participation. It applies specifically to employees whose names appear on the electoral rolls in Bengal and who would otherwise be unable to travel and vote due to work. “All Employers of Industrial Establishments/Factories/ Shops/Commercial Establishments/Institutions operating in Delhi shall grant a ‘paid holiday’ to their employees who are electors of the Assembly elections of West Bengal to enable them to cast their vote on the day of polling, in case the scheduled day is a working day for the concerned Employees/ Electors. Non-compliance with the above directions shall attract action,” it added. STRUCTURAL CHALLENGES Shortage of IPS officers cripples IB operations, 40% posts remain vacant M U K E S H R A N J A N @ New Delhi THE Intelligence Bureau (IB), India’s premier internal security agency, is facing an acute shortage of IPS officers especially in the mid-level ranks that are vital for operational effectiveness and coordination on the ground. The latest official data on sanctioned posts and vacancies in central police organisations and central armed police forces point to a sharp imbalance in the IB’s staffing structure. Senior leadership roles such as Director General, Special Director and Inspector General are adequately filled. But, the situation changes drastically at the levels of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and Superintendent of Police (SP), where vacancies have reached nearly 50% of the sanctioned strength. Out of a total of 203 sanctioned IPS posts in the IB, as many as 81 remain unfilled, indicating an overall shortfall of around 40%. The DIG rank alone accounts for 36 vacancies against 63 sanctioned posts, while at the SP level, 45 positions are vacant out of a total strength of 83. These mid-level officers play a critical role in the intelligence agency as they supervise field operations, handle sensitive inputs and coordinate with other agen- Why mid-level officers matter Mid-level officers play a crucial role in the intelligence gathering architecture. DIGs and SPs are responsible for supervising field operations, handling sensitive inputs, and ensuring the swift flow of actionable information across agencies. Their absence impacts operational efficiency and responsiveness cies. The absence of these officers, therefore, directly impacts the IB’s operational efficiency . Pointing to structural challenges behind the shortage, officials said the IB relies heavily on deputation from state cadres, but state police forces themselves are grappling with manpower constraints and rising law-and-order responsibilities. This has reduced the pool of officers available for central postings. Additionally shorter , tenures and frequent transfers hinder continuity in intelligence operations, while stateCentre dynamics further complicate deputation processes. The staffing crunch comes amid an increasingly complex internal security environment, marked by evolving threats such as terrorism, extremism, cyber espionage and organised crime, underscoring the urgency of addressing the gap. RS CHAIR ACCEPTS MERGER OF 7 AAP MPS WITH BJP Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan on Monday officially accepted the seven rebel Aam Aadmi Party MPs joining the BJP. After the merger, the BJP’s strength in the 245-strong Upper House increased to 113 | P7