First India-Mumbai Edition-3rd February 2023

For the first time ever, the Supreme Court will celebrate its anniversary tomorrow. The 73rd anniversary will be graced by CJ of Singapore, Justice Sundaresh Menon, as chief guest.

Apex Court to hear two petitions challenging the “ban” on the BBC documentary ‘India: The Modi Question’ today. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and MM Sundresh will hear the matter.

Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a PIL which sought to ban candidates from contesting elections on two seats. The top court said it was Parliament’s job to look into the matter.

Ministry of Cooperation on Thursday signed a MoU with the Ministry of Electronics and IT, NABARD and CSC e-Governance Services India Limited to enable Primary Agri Credit Societies (PACS) to provide services offered by Common Service Centers.

ADANI SAGA REACHES PARL FROM MARKET...

All Oppn parties seek Parliament debate JPC on Adani stock rout, force adjournments in LS & RS

Moni Sharma

New Delhi: The Opposition parties on Thursday sought a debate in Parliament and a probe by a joint committee into the fraud-allegation-triggered rout in Adani group company stocks, forcing adjournment of proceedings in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in the pre-lunch session.

The Congress, Shiv Sena, the Left, AAP and other Oppn parties tried to raise in both Houses issue of allegations levelled by a US short seller against Adani group, subsequent mayhem on the company stocks but were disallowed by chair.

LS MPs rushed to the Well of House raising slogans, sought a probe into business practices of big giant. Whereas, 9 MPs including Kharge, Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi and AAP’s Sanjay, gave notices in RS under rule 267.

Crucial

READ

AYODHYA GETS RARE

SHALIGRAMS FOR RAM

TEMPLE FROM NEPAL

leaders addressing a press conference

OM BIRLA ASKS MEMBERS NOT TO MAKE UNSUBSTANTIATED CLAIMS DHANKHAR REJECTS NOTICES, SAYS THEY WERE NOT IN ORDER

L ok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asked members not to make unsubstantiated claims and said Question Hour was an important part of Parliamentary proceedings which should not be disrupted. As the slogan shouting continued, the Speaker adjourned the Lower House proceedings till 2 pm.

R ajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar rejected all the notices, saying they were not in order. This infuriated the opposition MPs who rose in their places to protest. Dhankhar called for order in House but MPs continued to raise their demands, it also included constitution of a JPC to probe entire fiasco.

SCENT OF TERROR!

Teacher arrested for twin blasts in J&K, had Pak handlers: Cops

First India Bureau

Ayodhya: The construction work of a grand temple in Ayodhya, the city of Ram, is in full swing and along with it, idols of Ram and Sita are to be incarnated and carved out of special stones known as Shaligram stone, which is brought from Nepal.

INDUS WATER TREATY:

INDIA ISSUES NOTICE

TO PAK FOR TALKS

New Delhi: India’s Indus Commissioner issued a notice to Pakistani counterpart to notify a date for interstate bilateral negotiations to rectify an ongoing material breach of Indus Water treaty, MEA said on Thursday.

Adani speaks for 1st time since turmoil as stock fall continues

Keeping public interest in mind, we want a thorough probe into the Adani issue either by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) or a Supreme Court-monitored panel. There should also be dayto-day reporting of the investigation on the issue.

—Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress President

PM MODI HOLDS MEETING WITH UNION MINISTERS

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with Union Ministers to discuss government strategy in Parliament on Thursday. Among the ministers who were present at the meeting include Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Anurag Thakur, Nirmala Sitharaman, Pralhad Joshi, Piyush Goyal, Nitin Gadkari and Kiren Rijiju.

First India Bureau New Delhi/Mumbai:

Embattled billionaire Gautam Adani on Thursday spoke publicly for the first time since his ports-to-energy conglomerate publicly battled a short seller’s accusation of stock manipulation and accounting fraud, saying the abrupt move to withdraw a fully-subscribed share sale at his flagship firm was due to market volatility. Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL) closed at ` 1,564.70 on the BSE on Thursday, less than half the price at which shares were offered to investors in the follow-on public offer (FPO) that closed on January 31.

‘After a fully subscribed follow-on public offering (of Adani Enterprises Ltd), Wednesday’s decision of its withdrawal would have surprised many,” he said.

JOHNSON, BROTHER OF UK EX-PM, RESIGNS AS DIRECTOR OF ADANI LINKED COMPANY

J o Johnson, the former Conservative minister and brother of former UK PM Boris Johnson, has resigned as a director of a London-based firm with ties to the embattled Adani Group. Johnson joined Elara Capital, a self-styled “leading investment bank” for Indian companies looking to raise money overseas, in June last year.

RBI

EXPOSURE

T he RBI has sought details about lenders’ exposures to the Adani Group, banking sources said, a day after the conglomerate withdrew the on public offer (FPO) of its flag ship firm Adani Enterprises amid the steep fall in its stock prices.

The fundamentals of our company are strong. Our balance sheet is healthy and assets, robust. Our EBITDA levels and cash flows have been very strong and we have an impeccable track record of fulfilling our debt obligations. We will continue to focus on long term value creation and growth will be managed by internal accruals.

—Gautam Adani, Chairman Adani Group

Kappan walks out of jail after 2 years, says false allegations against me

BJP to fight Meghalaya polls under “M-Power”

Jammu: A government school teacher-turned Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist was arrested for allegedly carrying out multiple blasts, including one in a bus carrying Vaishno Devi pilgrims, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Dilbag Singh said on Thursday.

The arrest of Arif, a resident of Reasi dis-

3

trict, follows investigations in the recent twin blast case at Narwal in Jammu. An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted inside a perfume bottle was recovered from his possession, Singh told reporters here.

The Jammu and Kashmir police chief said this was the first time that such type of bomb was recovered in the Union Territory.

Chaibasa: As many as three CRPF jawans were injured after Naxals triggered an IED blast in Jharkhand’s Chaibasa area on Thursday, said a police officer.

IN A FIRST, “PERFUME IED” RECOVERED FROM LeT TERRORIST...

In a first, Jammu Police recovered a perfume improvised explosive device (IED) from a terrorist associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba who was involved in the twin blasts that took place in Narwal on January 21.

GAUGING THE POLITICAL ‘FEVER’

First India Bureau Lucknow: Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan, 43, was released from Lucknow jail on Thursday morning, 28 months after he was arrested by UP police under UAPA while on his way to cover Hathras gang rape case in Oct 2020. He was granted bail in the PMLA case by the High Court on December 23 and documentation for his release was completed on Wednesday.

SC HAD GRANTED

HIM BAIL EARLIER

On September 9, 2022, SC granted bail to Kappan but he was not released as ED case under PMLA was pending.

Party will contest all 60 Meghalaya seats, 20 seats in Nagaland

Journalist Siddique Kappan with his wife, son as he was released from Lucknow jail on Thursday.

My release is a “halfbaked justice” and “justice delayed”. Those who were arrested with me and falsely framed in the case are still in jail. Only I have come out and also the driver who was with me. How can we say justice is served just because of my release? I will continue the fight for it.

—Siddique Kappan

New Delhi (FIB): BJP will contest on all 60 seats of Meghalaya Assembly and fight Nagaland elections in an alliance with State’s ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party, contesting on 20 of 60 seats. BJP secretary and its NE co-incharge Rituraj Sinha said on Thursday that party will fight the Meghalaya polls under campaign tagline of “MPower” (Modi power), asserting that people of State have trust in PM Modi. They believe Modi is only person who can ensure a corruption-free govt. P5

Shinde holds emergency meet with his men, stays mum on agenda

CM Eknath Shinde held an all important closed door meeting with about 50 legislatogrs at CM’s residence ‘Varsha’

Kartikey Dev Singh

Mumbai: With the ongoing hearings regarding the party symbol, which will enforce the ‘legitimacy’ of either of the two factions of Shiv Sena -Thackeray and Shinde -, on Thursday, the Shinde faction -

about 50 legislatogrsheld an all important closed door meetings at CM’s residence ‘Varsha’ under the chairmanship of CM Eknath Shinde. Although the faction leaders chose to keep their lips sealed on the agenda of the meeting, however, highly laced sources have revealed that looking at the current political clime in the state, Shin-

de had called the meeting to gauge the mood of his ‘supporters’. Word is that owing to the constant jibes of the opposition regarding cabinet expansion and which Shinde and independent MLAs would be a part of it, Shinde had called the meet to find out what was going on in the minds of his faction leaders and also to ensure that discipline is maintained in case some legislators are not included in expansion.

Moreover, it is believed that discussion also occurred among the law makers over party symbol - Bow and Arrow - as the hearing is nearing its end and decision would be proclaimed soon by the EC. Further more, the election of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corpo ration (BMC) were also discussed along with the strategy of the Shinde faction.

DIDN’T MEET SHINDE IN SECRET, CLAIMS JITENDRA AWHAD

Mumbai (FIB): With rumours floating around that MLA JItendra Awhad met CM EKnath Shinde in secret, on Thursday, Awhad refuted the rumors and claimed that he had instead met state official Bhushan Gagrani. “I have not secretly met Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. I went to meet Gagrani as I had some work. I went to Sahyadri Guest House for my work. But the journalists were in such a hurry that they started floating news of secret meeting between me and the Chief Minister. Unfortunately, I have to say that the news of my meeting with the Chief Minister behind closed doors has spread a lot. This news has been spread wrongly. I did not meet the Chief Minister even for a second. I met him only when a case under 354 was registered against me. I will never forget that such dirty politics was done against me,” Awhad said.

RJD MP Manoj Jha in presence of LoP Mallikarjun Kharge and other like-minded Opposition parties

at a lawn near Vijay Chowk, in New Delhi on Thursday.

ASKS BANKS ABOUT ADANI GROUP

CRPF JAWANS INJURED IN IED BLAST IN CHAIBASA

J&K DGP Dilbag Singh addresses media regarding the arrested of the terrorist in Jammu on Thursday. (Top) Arif in police custody.

Env Min defers proposal to dredge ocean floor, port likely to be delayed

The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority had sought an amendment in the project’s Terms of Reference (ToR)

First India Bureau

Mumbai: In a major development that could delay the implementation of the proposed Vadhavan Port in Palghar, the Union environment ministry has deferred a proposal by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) seeking an amendment in Terms of Reference (ToR) for the project.

This development comes to light just a few days prior to a hearing of the Dahanu Taluka Environment Protection Authority (DTEPA) on February 13, when the quasi-judicial body is expected to deliver a ruling on the permissibility of the port.

In a meeting of the MoEFCC’s Expert Appraisal Committee

(EAC) on ports and harbours on January 12, it was noted that “the instant proposal cannot be considered... as (its) entire scope and configuration has changed.”

This has brought

Court relief for Mum ex-mayor Pednekar

Mumbai: A sessions court that last Monday granted protection from arrest to former city mayor and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Kishori

Pednekar in a case concerning fraudulently acquiring Slum Redevelopment Authority (SRA) flats, has said in its detailed order that there is no reason for the police to take her into custody.

The court noted that the flats are already in SRA’s custody and the rest of the probe can be conducted by documents and recording statements of witnesses. It said that prima facie it appears that the stakeholders concerned

have given flats to Pednekar on leave and license. It also noted that as per Pednekar’s claim, the building had completed 10 years in 2017 and hence there was no question of violation of SRA rules. As per the SRA rules, flat owners are not supposed to rent out the properties for at least 10 years from the date of allotment.

some relief to locals and environmentalists who have been campaigning against the project. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) has now been instructed by the Centre to revise their pre-

feasibility report (PFR) for Vadhavan Port to include its “current scope of the work”, which the EAC will review “so that additional ToRs can be considered for the project in due course.”

Surya Regional Water project finishing soon

First India Bureau Mumbai: The Surya Regional Water Supply Scheme is on the verge of completion, this project would come as a relief to Vasai-Virar residents who have been facing water issues. Water will be supplied to the VasaiVirar City Municipal Corporation as part of the 185 MLD first phase of this project under which testing, trial run and the commissioning of the scheme will take place in March 2023. The project is proposed to be completed in two phases of 185 and 218

NEWS DIGEST

137 WARKARIS

FALL SICK; FOOD POISONING LIKELY

CYBER ATTACK AT PVT EXPLOSIVES FIRM, CASE FILED

MLD capacity.

“The Surya project is an ambitious project of MMRDA because, apart from developing infrastructure, MMRDA is setting up its first water supply project for the western sub-region. The VasaiVirar Municipal Corporation will be getting water through the Phase 1 of the scheme this year. On the other hand, water will be provided to the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation under the 218 MLD second phase in the coming months,” said Metropolitan Commissioner SVR Srinivas.

‘SBSP to tie-up with Uddhav-led

Sena for upcoming BMC election’

First India Bureau

Ballia: SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar on Wednesday said he will contest the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections in alliance with the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray). He said he met Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai two days ago.

“The meeting, which lasted for about oneand-a-half hours, was positive. Discussions were held with Thackeray regarding the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections to be held in

Maharashtra,” Rajbhar said.

He claimed that Thackeray agreed to contest the polls in alliance with the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP). The Brihanmumbai Municipal

Corporation has 227 seats. It is currently under an administrator as the five-year term of its elected representatives ended early last year and fresh polls are due.

Asked whether he

would forge an alliance with the Shiv Sena for elections in Uttar Pradesh, Rajbhar said the Shiv Sena has no party base in the northern state. On the controversy regarding Ramcharitmanas, the SBSP president exuded confidence that the Samajwadi Party (SP) will not gain anything from the row.

“The Samajwadi Party will not get anything through Swami Prasad Maurya. Maurya is not a mass leader. Had he been so, he would not have tasted defeat in the assembly elections,” he claimed.

Bullet Train project stalled due to ex-CM: Railway Min

First India Bureau

Mumbai: The first Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project in the country was to be completed in 2023. However, this project was stalled during the tenure of then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, said Ashwini Vaishnaw, Railway Minister in a press conference adding that “Permissions required for various bullet train operations in the state were not grant-

ed during his tenure. However, as soon as the government changed, the present

government has given all the permissions and the project is being accelerated.”

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the budget on Wednesday.

In this budget, a capital provision of Rs2.41 lakh crore was made for Indian Railways. It will focus on high-speed trains, bullet trains and new tracks. Therefore, the work of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train is likely to speed up. After the presentation of the Union Budget, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw blamed the delay in the bullet train on Maha Vikas Aghadi government-era Chief Minis-

ter Uddhav Thackeray in a press conference. For the AhmedabadBullet Train project, 98.76% of the land has been acquired in Maharashtra, 98.91% in Gujarat and 100% in Dadra Nagar Haveli. Meanwhile, information was given by National HighSpeed Railway Corporation Limited that an average of 98.87% of the land has been acquired for Maharashtra, Gujarat, and DadraNagar Haveli.

Pune: Around 137 Warkaris (devotees of Lord Vitthal) fell sick due to suspected food poisoning in the temple town of Pandharpur, officials said on Thursday. All the devotees are stable, they said. Several worshippers on Wednesday consumed ‘varai rice’, a barnyard millet preparation, at a local temple on the occasion of Maghi Ekadashi.

“After that, 137 Warkaris complained of vomiting and nausea and were brought to the hospital. While 89 devotees were admitted, the rest were discharged after treatment,” said a doctor from the district civil hospital.

Nagpur: A leading ammunition manufacturing firm in Nagpur informed the police of a cyber attack on its server last month, following which a complaint was registered, an official said on Thursday. The hacking attempt on the server of Solar Industries India Limited, a leading manufacturer of defence equipment, took place on January 21 and a case was registered with Nagpur cyber police on January 25, the police official said. A top official of the company confirmed the development but refused to give details.

POLICE SETS UP MUSEUM TO DISPLAY COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT, WEAPONS

Alibag: The Raigad district police have set up a museum that will exhibit documents, uniforms and weapons used by the force over the last several decades, a senior official said on Thursday. The museum will be set up in the police’s district headquarters, Raigad Superintendent of Police Somnath Gharge said. “There will also be a section that shows how the police wireless systems and other communication equipment changed over time. We hope it becomes a tourist attraction,” Gharge added.

TRANSFORMERS

PARTS WORTH `3 LAKH STOLEN

MAN KILLED ON MUM-AHM HWY AFTER TYRE BURST

Thane: In two separate incidents, unidentified persons allegedly stole parts of power transformers belonging to the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL), collectively worth more than Rs3 lakh in Thane district, police said on Thursday. Offences against unidentified accused were registered in this connection at the Manpada police station, an official said. The material stolen in these incidents is collectively worth Rs3,03,045, he added.

Palghar: A 38-year-old man from Gujarat was killed after his car collided with a truck on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway in Palghar district on Thursday morning, said an official. The deceased, Arunkumar Parekh was heading towards Mumbai when he lost control of the vehicle due to a tyre burst around 9.30 am, said the official. The car, which was on the Khanivade bridge at the time, jumped over the divider and hit a truck coming in the opposite direction, killing Parekh on the spot, he said.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN DRIVES AWAY WITH MSRTC BUS, LEAVES IT IN KARNATAKA

Latur: An unidentified man on Thursday drove away with a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus from Latur and abandoned it in a village some 14 kilometres away in neighbouring Karnataka, a police official said. The bus was stolen from Aurad Shahajani stop of the state-run undertaking in the morning, he said. “The bus was deployed for services on the Nilanga-Aurad Shahajani route, it was parked by driver Balaji Keokane at the end of his duty hours and was stolen late at night,” he said. An investigation was launched on the complaint of driver Keokane, which led to the bus being spotted in Kesar Jawalga village in Karnataka.

1 new Vande Bharat train to reach today, other on Feb 06

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to launch the Mumbai-Solapur and Mumbai-Shirdi trains on Feb 10

First India Bureau

Mumbai: One of the two Vande Bharat Express trains which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to launch from Mumbai on February 10 will likely reach the city on Friday morning, officials said; the other is likely to arrive on

February 06.

The new Vande Bharat Express trains will service the Mumbai-Solapur and Mumbai-Shirdi routes.

Both trains, manufactured at the Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory, will be fitted with parking brakes, following which they will undergo trials in the hilly ghat section on the outskirts of Mumbai to check whether they need deployment of additional locomotives to cross

this terrain.

Having a gradient of 1:37--meaning there is a rise of 1m for every 37m run--both Bhor and

Thal ghats are among the toughest Railway ghat sections in the county, officials said. Hence, at present all

trains passing through these ghats are hauled up by additional locomotives (called bankers) from the Mumbai side. In ghat sections bankers are used for pushing trains besides avoiding incidents of train roll back in case of parting of coaches. But the process of attaching and detaching bankers takes at least a few minutes, increasing travel time due to technical halts, an official explained.

SBSP chief confirmed his recent meet with Uddhav Thackeray.

Modi flags off a Vande Bharat Express at Nagpur Railway Station, on December 11, as CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis look on.

Now, Aadhar mandatory to buy ‘deadly’ farm tool

Several incidents of so-called ‘Koyta gangs’ bullying people by brandishing billhooks have been reported in recent times

First India Bureau

Pune: In the wake of a spurt in incidents of miscreants, including minors, attacking and terrorizing people with koytas, or billhooks, city police have asked sellers to take down Aadhaar card details of those buying these farm tools, an official said on Thursday.

The decision to track buyers comes after several incidents were reported in recent days, which involved members of the so-called ‘Koyta gangs’ bullying people by brandishing billhooks, especially in areas located on the outskirts of Pune city.

“We have asked the zonal DCPs to instruct the retail sellers of agriculture tools in their regions to ensure they record the credentials of the buyers of koytas at the time of purchase,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Amol Zende. The sellers of farm equipment have been instructed to ensure that juveniles do not purchase koytas, he said. “They should also ensure that the tools are being sold for agriculture and other valid purposes only,” Zende added.

According to him, the police have cracked down on several antisocial elements who

We have asked the zonal DCPs to instruct the retail sellers of agriculture tools in their regions to ensure they record the credentials of the buyers of koytas at the time of purchase. They should also ensure that the tools are being sold for agriculture and other valid purposes only.

—Amol Zende, DCP (Crime)

were found using billhooks to terrorise people. Smartana Patil, DCP (Zone II), said a notice has been issued to the retail sellers of koytas, instructing them to record the details, like

Minor among 4 held for armed robbery

Thane (PTI): Police have arrested three men and a 17-year-old boy from Uttar Pradesh for allegedly robbing a man at gunpoint near Kharegaon toll booth on the Mumbai-Nashik highway in Thane district on January 16, an official said on Thursday.

“The accused came in a car and waylaid the victim, who was going on a motorcycle on the highway. Threatening him at gunpoint, the robbers snatched away his bag containing Rs2.50 lakh and three mobile phones. A case was reg-

BMC lets 55 corrupt staff go, suspends 134

First India Bureau

Mumbai: In a strict move against corrupt employees by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), 53 employees against whom corruption charges are pending and 81 against whom FIRs have been lodged are suspended from the service along with 55 employees who were dismissed after being slated guilty by the court. These 55 employees have not only lost their jobs but have also lost their pensions, gratuity and other benefits. They have also been

Several incidents came to light in which the juveniles were found possessing koytas and indulging in criminal activities. In order to curb the menace, we have brought in some measures in which the sellers have been asked to maintain the record of buyers.

—Smartana Patil, DCP (Zone II)

Aadhaar numbers and other credentials, of the buyers.

“Several incidents came to light in which the juveniles were found possessing koytas and indulging in

criminal activities. In order to curb the menace, we have brought in some measures in which the sellers have been asked to maintain the record of buyers,” she said.

FLOWER POWER

istered at Kalwa police station,” Assistant Commissioner of Police (Kalwa) Vilas Shinde said.

Based on intelligence inputs and CCTV footage, investigators found that five persons were involved in the crime, he added.

“The police got a tipoff that the accused had escaped to Uttar Pradesh. So, we sent a team there and caught the accused from Basti district,” Shinde said, adding that three of them were arrested and the juvenile was detained.

blacklisted and will not be allowed to work in any government or semi-government organization in future.

The civic body officials claimed that BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal had set certain norms for work after

1,000-year-old Jain stone statue discovered in Hingoli

First India Bureau

Aurangabad: An ancient stone idol, believed to be about 1,000 years old, of Lord Kunthunath, one of the Jain Tirthankaras, has been found in Hingoli district, experts said on Thursday.

The statue was discovered during construction work on the premises of an existing Jain temple located at Sonune Galli of Aundha Nagnath, about 600km from Mumbai, on Tuesday, they said.

Indologist Saili Palande-Datar said, “The sculpture recently excavated near the Jain temple at Aundha Nagnath is carved out of a basalt stone, could be from the 12th-13th century. It is of refined make and can be identified as that of Kunthunath Bhagwan.” According to Jain-

ism, Kunthunath was the 17th of the 24 Tirthankaras, each of whom has a specific representative symbol or “lakshana”. This statue can be identified through its goat symbol, she said. Lord Ma-

havira was the 24th Tirthankara.

The antiquity of the sculpture matching with other remains at the spot substantiated the presence of an important Jain centre at Aundha Nagnath.

taking charge. These included transparency in work and strict adherence to BMC rules. It was also decided that strict action would be taken against any form of corruption. The BMC administration has claimed that they cooperate with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) which can file a charge sheet in the court but only after permission from the civic body. Till date, the ACB has 142 cases registered. Of these, the BMC has permitted to prosecute 105 cases. Out of the remaining 37 cases, 30 cases are under investigation.

Charge sheet filed against five arrested PFI members

Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) filed its chargesheet against five members of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI), arrested after raids last year. The accused were arrested on the grounds of indulging in anti-national activities and waging war against the nation.

In the chargesheet filed before special judge AM Patil, the accused have been charged under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Indian Penal Code for various offences, including promoting enmity among different groups and conspiring to commit offences against the State.

More than a 100 branches of the radical Islamist group were raided and several arrests were made in a nationwide operation, in September last year.

The PFI was banned by the Central government through a notification issued on September 27 last year, in which it said the outfit (PFI) and its affiliates have been involved in subversive activities, thereby disturbing public order and undermining the constitutional set-up of the country.

BENEFIT OF DOUBT

5 acquitted in MCOCA case for lack of ‘independent witness’

Prosecution relied solely on the police evidence and the confessional statements of the accused, the local court said

First India Bureau

Thane: A local court here has acquitted five persons being tried under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) in an alleged robbery and assault case, on the grounds that the prosecution failed to examine any independent

witnesses. Instead, the prosecution relied solely on the evidence of the police and the confessional statements of the accused, Special court judge AM Shete, said in his order passed on Tuesday, which was made available on Thursday.

The court gave the accused the benefit of

doubt, and directed that they be released immediately unless required in any other case.

The prosecution told the court that the incident had occurred on the night of February 03, 2010, when the victim--a driver--was returning from Dahisar by road. He had halted near a temple and stepped out for a while. When he returned to the car, the accused persons assaulted him, pushed him into the car and drove it away. The accused, who are ages between 40 and 47, were booked under var-

The prosecution witnesses can be said to have failed to prove the guilt of the accused persons beyond all reasonable doubt. Therefore, the accused are required to be acquitted as there is no other way out.

Shete, Special Court Judge

—AM

ious sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the MCOCA for voluntarily causing hurt, robbery, conspiracy to commit organized crime, it said. In the order, the judge said, “It is required to mention

that the prosecution in order to establish the guilt of the accused, examined all 14 witnesses who are police officials (including the sanctioning officer). The prosecution placed heavy reliance on the

confessional statements of the accused.

The prosecution, except the evidence through police officials, failed to produce any independent evidence.”

The evidence brought on record cannot be easily brushed aside. However, considering the serious offence and the prescribed punishment coupled with the ratio laid down in the case of Sanjay Dutt, some corroboration is required, the court said.

The tool is used widely in agriculture and forestry for cutting woody materials. —FILE PHOTO

The sacked employees have also lost pensions, other benefits.

The statue was discovered during construction work on the premises of an existing Jain temple 600km from Mumbai.

The court gave accused the benefit of doubt.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation workers on Thursday make final adjustments to the set-up for the floral exhibition at the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan in Mumbai's Byculla area from February 3 to 5. Usually an affair, the exhibition is taking place after a gap of two years due to the pandemic. —PHOTOS BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

INDIA - A NEW GLOBAL VOICE EMERGING LINK BETWEEN GROUP 7 AND THE BRICS

IN-DEPTH BIG CHARGES, LITTLE PROOF: KAPPAN FINALLY LEAVES PRISON

While G-7 will continue to fight for unity and relevance, Russia, China, and their supporters will invest in various economic, political and even military infrastructures, in the hope of creating a permanent and sustainable counterbalance to Western dominance. India is f ast emerging as most important voice on the global fora expected to be helping bridging gaps between the west dominated G-7 and EU and South Global Economies represented through G-20, SCO and the BRICS

The author is a Post Graduate in International Studies, Alumni of Defense Services Staff College, Wellington and College of Combat, Mhow

While the Group-7 countries (Canada, France, Germany Italy, Japan, the UK and the US) established in 1975 is a group of powerful industrialised Western nations who exert influence across the world, the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) formed in 2009 is a group of globally most important emerging market economies wanting to have a much larger say in global affairs as well as foster global development with special emphasis on the Global South. The former (including the EU) has a population of 987 million with a GDP of US$34 trillion while the latter has a population of 3 billion with a GDP of US$23.5 trillion. While the US led G-7 mainly focusses on rule based international order, security and strategies against China and Russia, the BRICS is a multi-ethnic coalition of nations, committed to uphold international law and the central role of the United Nations in the international system and trying to address the economic challenges of the Global South.

The G -7 and the BRICS have competing views on the international order in which the former believes that they are world’s norm-setters influencing other countries policies. Therefore, the rule

BRITAIN FACING PUBLIC UNREST

based international order, from the G-7 perspective, is centred around the US exercising control over the sovereignty of many countries. No wonder the US led NATO sees more assertive China and Russia presenting systemic challenge to their rule based international order. On the other hand, BRICS and countries in the Global South are committed to international law enshrined in the UN - promoting economic and social development as well as advancing international peace and security through international treaties and conventions. Clearly the BRICS and G-7 represent two distinctive global governance propositions and differ on their vision of economic development and globalisation.

The G-7’s launch of the Build Back Better World (B3W) initiative as an alternative to China’s Belts and Road Initiative (BRI) reeks of power politics instead of a genuine desire to help the Global South. The failure to get Russia isolated on Ukraine war in the back-toback meetings of BRICS and G-7 in 2022 have been big setbacks for the US. The G-7 continues to pursue unilateralism and global hegemony and the BRICS is emerging as a real challenge to the West. However, the BRICS potential to challenge the US led global order is undermined by the internal makeup of the group, lack ideological homogeneity and capacity to develop a collective foreign policy. Presence of Indian PM Narendra Modi and South African President Cyr-

THE FORMER (INCLUDING THE EU) HAS A POPULATION OF 987 MILLION WITH A GDP OF US$34 TRILLION WHILE THE LATTER HAS A POPULATION OF 3 BILLION WITH A GDP OF US$23.5 TRILLION

il Ramaphosa, two prominent BRICS leaders as guests of German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz at the G-7 Summit is an indicator of BRICS prominence in global affairs. Despite the lack of internal cohesion, the BRICS still represents both a developmental and geopolitical challenge to the US led G-7 as China has been able present a non-capitalist market-oriented development alternative to the West and India’s voice is being heard globally more than ever before. The G -7 knows that global green transition and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets cannot be achieved without India. For its ambitions, India needs G-7 investment, technology, and green finance. The last G-7 summit took place under the shadows of the Ukraine war, which has threatened economic recovery and the many issues in Indo-Pacific Region still remains unresolved and the leaders reiterated the “importance of maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific”, and reminded China to “abstain from

threats, coercion, intimidation measures or use of force”. Narendra Modi, along with the leaders of Argentina, Indonesia, Senegal, and South Africa, also attended some of the sessions.

India now has very strong economic and strategic ties G-7 and EU and the Indian economy is likely to be one of the fastest growing economies in the post-pandemic phase, partnership with India is attractive for the West. Modi rightly focused on strengths of the Indian economy, its ambitious climate targets and performance, and contribution to global food security. The G-7 relations with Russia are bad, and tensions with China have grown. In these circumstances, strengthening partnership with New Delhi is useful for the G-7. Indeed, the BRICS is fast emerging as a direct competitor to the G-7 and the possible entry of Argentina and Iran may turn BRICS into a geopolitical, entity. While G-7 will continue to fight for unity and relevance, Russia, China, and their supporters will invest in various economic, political and even military infrastructures, in the hope of creating a permanent and sustainable counterbalance to Western dominance. India is fast emerging as most important voice on the global fora expected to be helping bridging gaps between the west dominated G-7 and EU and South Global Economies represented through G-20, SCO and the BRICS.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Being a journalist is no crime, said Siddique Kappan after his release from Lucknow jail after over two years of incarceration. The journalist from Kerala was arrested by the Special Task Force of UP Police while on his way to Hathras to cover the rape and murder of a Dalit girl. He was first booked under the UAPA and then the Enforcement Directorate joined the investigations alleging wider conspiracy. The UP STF alleged Kappan to be the “mastermind” of the Popular Front of India, a Muslim outfit which was outlawed by the Union Home Ministry in 2022. The STF also claimed that Kappan’s motive was to create unrest. He was granted bail by the Supreme Court which did not find sufficient evidence against him. The ED had accused him of fraudulent transactions of over Rs 1 crore but could not prove it in the Allahabad High Court. Kappan was thus arrested for not committing any crime, prompting the courts to grant him bail.

SPIRITUAL SPEAK

For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. Bible

TOP TWEETS

#Budget2023 displays our commitment towards building better infra and a sports culture in the country; PM @narendramodi has ensured our sportspersons are supported from the playfield to the podium.

Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp

E

ngland is facing its worst unrest in over a decade with an estimated 500,000 teachers, civil servants, nurses and train drivers walking out of their offices on Wednesday demanding salary hike.

Teachers formed the biggest group among strikers with about 300,000 of them staging a protest march forcing schools across England to remain shut. With drivers boycotting work, train services were paralysed. The situation is likely to worsen as workers’ unions threaten more action.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has firmly refused to give in to the demand stating that pay rise will lead to inflation. He was especially critical of teachers. “I am clear that our

England is facing its worst unrest in over a decade with an estimated 500,000 teachers, civil servants, nurses and train drivers walking out of their offices on Wednesday demanding salary hike

children’s education is precious and they deserve to be in school today being taught,” he said. The government has put the military on standby. The Conservative Party government is facing a tough time with elections due in 2025. Major unions are on strike and the inflation is at

more than 10 percent, highest in four decades.

As the government has failed to address the situation, people have genuine reason to be dissatisfied and angry. And that should be reason enough for Rishi Sunak to worry about the strike’s political consequences. The Labour Party, reports say, is ahead of Conservatives by 25 percentage points in polls. The margin was 39 percent in the Labour Party’s favour in October last year.

In an opinion poll last month people stated their preference for Keir Starmer, the Labour Party leader, over Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and 55 percent thought the “Conservatives had done a poor job”. Countdown may have begun for Rishi Sunak.

Sharing pictures of the work progress of 2G bio ethanol refinery being set up by @ BPCLimited in Bargarh. Steady progress is being made towards the completion of the bio-refinery. Once commissioned, the refinery will bring a new dawn of development in Western Odisha.

COL RAJESH BHUKAR

No decision on implementation of UCC as of now: Kiren Rijiju

New Delhi (ANI): The Centre has not taken any decision as of now on the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code in the country, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

The Minister was responding to a query regarding “whether Government has any plan to pass the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill”. “As per the information received from the Law Commission, the matter related to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) may be taken up by the 22nd Law Commission for its consideration. Therefore, no decision on the implementation of a uniform civil code has been taken as of now,” said Rijiju.

He further responded that the government had requested the 21st Law Commission of India to undertake an examination of various issues relating to UCC and to make recommendations thereon.

However, the term of the 21st Law Commission ended on August 31, 2018, informed the Law Minister.

“`22.76 CR SPENT ON PM’S FOREIGN TRIPS SINCE 2019”

New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi has undertaken 21 trips abroad since 2019 and over Rs 22.76 crore was spent on these visits, the govt said on Thursday. The President undertook eight trips abroad and an amount of over Rs 6.24 crore was spent on these trips since 2019, MoS (External Affairs)

V Muraleedharan said in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha.

IN THE COURTYARD

SC JUNKS PLEA SEEKING TO BAR CANDIDATES FROM CONTESTING FROM MORE THAN 1 SEAT

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a plea that had sought to restrict a candidate from contesting the election for the same office from more than one constituency simultaneously, saying it is a matter of “legislative policy”. A bench observed that candidates may contest elections from different seats due to a variety of reasons and it is Parliament’s will as to whether the course of democracy would be furthered by granting such a choice.

CORRUPTION EATING THROUGH THE COUNTRY: ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT

Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court, rejecting the anticipatory bail application of one Devendra Kumar Hangal, has observed corruption is a menace which is eating the vitals of the country. The applicant allegedly indulged in a conspiracy with the officers of the Noida Development Authority funnelled several crores of rupees from the public fund released for the construction of a cricket stadium with a pavilion building at Integrated sports complex at Noida. It is alleged that Hangal through his private limited company conspired with Yadav Singh, who was the engineer-in-chief of NOIDA authority, Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority.

TERROR FUNDING: HC ASKS NIA TO REPLY TO HURRIYAT LEADER’S BAIL PLEA

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought response of the National Investigation Agency on a plea by separatist leader Nayeem Ahmad Khan seeking bail in a terror-funding case involving 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed. A bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Talwant Singh issued notice to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and asked it to file reply to the petition challenging a trial court’s order denying bail to the accused.

PERIYA TWIN MURDER CASE: TRIAL

STARTS

AT CBI COURT IN KOCHI

Kochi: Trial proceedings in Periya Twin Murder

Case have begun on Thursday at the court of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Witness examination of the first witness Sreekumar at the CBI Court has been started today. Two Youth Congress activists, Kripesh, 19, and Sharath Lal (Joshy), 24, were hacked to death allegedly by CPI(M) activist at Periya in Kasaragod district while returning from an event on February 17, 2019. Kripesh died at the Kasaragod district hospital, while Sharath Lal succumbed to injuries on his way to a medical facility in Mangaluru, Karnataka.

FinMin Sitharaman to brief BJP MPs today

INDIA’S HAJ QUOTA FOR 2023

FIXED AT 1,75,025, SAYS GOVT

New Delhi: India’s Haj quota for this year has been fixed at 1,75,025 as per bilateral agreement with Saudi Arabia. In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani said the ministry had a number of sessions on Haj management with stakeholders, including Haj Committees of the states and UTs, wherein requests for restoration of Haj quota were received.

“GoI SPENT `27K LAKH ON CULTURAL SITES IN 2021-22”

New Delhi: The Centre has spent Rs 26,957.32 lakh on conservation, preservation and maintenance of monuments and sites of national importance in 2021-22. Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy, in a written response to a query, also shared data on the revenue generated through entry fee at monuments and sites at 143 locations in India in last three years.

HC COLLEGIUMS IN BREACH OF SIX-MONTH ADVANCE TIMELINE IN SENDING NAMES TO FILL ANTICIPATED VACANCIES: GOVT

Various high court collegiums are in “breach” of the six-month advance timeline in sending recommendations to fill several anticipated vacancies, the government informed Parliament on Thursday. In three separate written replies to questions in the Rajya Sabha, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju also asserted that the government can seek a reconsideration of the names recommended by the Supreme Court collegium. Responding to a question on the “breach” of the six-month timeline, Rijiju said as on January 30, “recommendations in respect of 236 vacancies (191 existing and 45 anticipated vacancies during next six months) are yet to be received from High Court collegiums, which are in breach of the six months’ advance timeline for making recommendations for anticipated vacancies”.

Andhra: TDP leader shot at while asleep

Palnadu (ANI): A Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader on Thursday sustained injuries after he was allegedly shot at by unknown persons in Andhra Pradesh’s Palnadu district.

TDP Mandal level leader, Venna Balakoti Reddy was sleeping at his residence in Alavala village in Rompicherla Mandal, when the assailants fired two rounds at him at midnight. Balakoti Reddy was rushed to Narasaraopet Government Hospital and he is under treatment.

New Delhi (ANI): Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman who presented the Narendra Modi government’s last full budget ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, will hold a briefing for the BJP MPs both of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Friday, sources said. She will explain the budget to the MPs in the meeting. The briefing will be held at 9 am at the Balayogi Auditorium in Parliament Library Building in the national capital, all MPs have been informed. This briefing comes at a time when the party has asked all its members of Parliament to go to the respective constituencies and tell the common man what does budget means and how it has been brought out, keeping the interest of every stratum

IN BJP’S MEGA BUDGET REACH OUT, UNION MINISTERS TO TRAVEL PAN

INDIA ON FEB 4, 5

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will launch a mega budget Reach Out on February 4 and 5 across India to bring to the fore what the budget means for each and every citizen, cutting across age, caste, creed and profession. Union ministers will travel across the country for this budget reach out programme. “During this reach out programme, union ministers will hold a press conference on the budget and at the same time interact with people across the strata, including prominent citizens and intellectuals,” top sources said. Earlier in the morning on Thursday, BJP national president JP Nadda held a meeting with the ministers to fine-tune the details of the programme.

UNION BUDGET IS BENEFICIAL FOR U’KHAND: DHAMI

Dehradun: Uttarakhand CM

Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday said the Union Budget has several provisions which are especially beneficial for a Himalayan state like Uttarakhand whose economy is based primarily on tourism. “The budget lays the foundations of a strong India and pave the way for its emergence as a global leader,” Dhami said at a press conference here.

Azad meets Shah; protests held in parts of Jammu & Kashmir

Jammu (PTI): Democratic Azad Party (DAP) chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad has sought intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah against the ongoing land eviction drive in J&K, where aggrieved people continued their protests at different places on Thursday.

The National Conference and Aam Aadmi Party also demanded an immediate end to the drive, while J&K BJP requested the Lt Governor-led administration to restrict the campaign to politicians, police of-

ficers and bureaucrats who have “misused” their power in the past to grab the land. Azad called upon Home Minister Shah in New Delhi on Wednesday and apprised him about “serious unrest and uncertainty” pre-

DIPLOMATIC DIALOGUES!

ENCROACHED GOVT LAND RETRIEVED

Jammu: Over 14.5 hectares of land were retrieved during a day-long anti-encroachment drive on Thursday. The administration retrieved around 200 kanal kahcharai land in Thalwal village and a chunk of prime state land was retrieved from Dungian village.

vailing among the public at large in Jammu and Kashmir due to the eviction drive launched by the administration to remove encroachments on state land including Roshni and Kacharai, the DAP said in a statement here.

K’TAKA CM SLAMS OPPN FOR RAPPING UNION BUDGET

Bengaluru: Karnataka CM

Basavaraj Bommai has slammed the Opposition parties for criticising the Union Budget 2023-24 presented by Finance Minister in the Parliament. In a specially convened press conference, the CM stated that the opposition parties in the state are disappointed despite the central government announcing Rs 5,300 crore for the Upper Bhadra project.

HRY BUDGET SESSION FROM FEB 20

Budget session of the Haryana Assembly will begin here from February 20, CM Manohar Lal Khattar said on Thursday. It has been proposed to hold the session in two parts, the chief minister said. “The budget session will begin from February 20,” Khattar told reporters here after a Cabinet meeting.

ODISHA BUDGET SESSION ON FEB 21

The Budget session of the Odisha Assembly will commence on February 21, an official notification said on Thursday. The session will commence with the customary address by the Governor on the opening day.

Ex-Meghalaya Speaker Danggo joins BJP

Shillong (Agencies): Shifting of loyalty continued in Meghalaya ahead of the February 27 assembly elections, as former Assembly Speaker and candidate of ruling National People’s Party (NPP), Martin M Danggo joined the BJP.

According to the candidates’ list, announced by the BJP in New Delhi on Thursday, Danggo will contest the assembly elections from Ranikor assembly constituency in South West Khasi Hills district.

The NPP sources said

that they would soon decide on whether to field a candidate from Ranikor constituency Danggo resigned from the NPP as he was reportedly ‘financially neglected’ by the NPP, the accusation denied by the ruling party headed by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.

Proceedings of Rajya Sabha underway during the Budget Session of Parliament, in New Delhi on Thursday.

(Clockwise from top) President Droupadi Murmu during a meeting with a Zambian delegation led by Zambian National Assembly Speaker Nelly Butete Kashumba Mutti, at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi; Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar with Zambian Speaker Mutti & Lok Sabha Speaker with his Zambian counterpart Nelly Butete Kashumba Mutti, in New Delhi on Thursday. —PHOTOS BY ANI

Former Meghalaya Speaker Martin Danggo joining BJP.

Govt agencies not looking at terror acts through prism of religion: DGP

Jammu (PTI): Law enforcement agencies do not look at terror acts through the prism of religion, Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh said on Thursday, asserting that strict action will be taken against those found involved in such acts. He said the recent terror attacks in Jammu region at the behest of handlers from across the border were aimed at reviving terrorism and harming the communal harmony and brotherhood in the Union territory.

“We work in accordance with law of the land and do not see (any terror-related incident) through the prism of religion. An accused is dealt with on the basis of the crime and not religion,” Singh told reporters here.

He was replying to a question on reported remarks of Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif that worshippers were not killed during prayers even in India following a deadly bomb attack inside a mosque in Peshawar recently.

“Our government policy is very clear that terrorism has no religion and strict action

CRUCIAL READ

CBI REGISTERS PRELIMINARY ENQUIRY AGAINST POLICE COMM

New Delhi (PTI): The CBI has registered a preliminary enquiry against Jalandhar Police Commissioner Kuldeep Singh Chahal for alleged corruption and misconduct during his tenure as the SSP, officials said on Thursday. The CBI has launched an enquiry on a reference from Punjab Governor & Chandigarh Administrator Banwarilal.

DELHI

should be taken against them (terrorists). Some people are trying to manipulate the situation and mislead the public, but we are sure that people have learnt a lot and will not be misled,” he said.

The top cop said the neighbouring country is the birthplace of terrorism.

“They have been raising terror groups and

shedding innocent blood, and stand exposed,” he said. Singh said terrorism sponsored from across the border has been going on for a long time in Jammu and Kashmir, and innocent people are targeted by gruesome and cowardly acts.

“Jammu province witnessed a series of terror attacks (in the past one year),” he said.

Jammu (PTI): Referring to the recent arrest of a government teacher-turnedaterrorist who was working at the behest of his handlers, DGP said a terrorist cannot hide himself for ever and has to face the law. Asked whether there is a possibility of more terrorists in government departments, the officer said anyone found involved in such acts will be dealt with as per the law. “A new dimension was given to terrorism in J-K under which terror modules are created and assigned particular tasks,” DGP said. He added that the intention of sponsors of terrorism has not changed & one has to remain alert to tackle the new challenges & foil their designs.

TO GENERATE ILLEGAL FUNDS

‘Delhi Excise Policy was made by top AAP leaders’

New Delhi (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in its chargesheet stated that the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) investigation done so far has revealed that, the Delhi Excise Policy, 2021-22 was created by the top leaders of the AAP to continuously generate and channel illegal funds for themselves.

ED further states that the extent of involvement and abatement of the criminal activities by the leaders of the AAP covered in the subject, Prosecution Complaint further substantiates their design and scheme of the scam.

The policy promoted cartel formations through back door awarding an exorbitant wholesale profit margin of 12 per cent and a huge retail profit margin of 185 per cent and incentivized other illegal activities on account of criminal conspiracy by the top leaders of AAP to extract kick-

Ebacks from the businesses, stated the ED.

ED revealed that it is disclosed by C Arvind, DANICS, Secretary to Manish Sisodia, in his statement dated December 7, 2022, the draft GoM report was given to him in the mid of March 2021 when C Arvind was called by Manish Sisodia to the residence of Arvind Kejriwal, CM (where Satyender Jain was also pre-

sent). The conspiracy of the GoM to give wholesale business to private entities and fix a 12 per cent margin (to get a 6 per cent kickback out from the same) is clear from the statement of C. Arvind wherein he disclosed that there was neither any discussion in the GoM meetings about giving wholesale to private entities nor fixing 12 per cent profit margin for them.

CRPF sets up camp in Maoist stronghold after 17 years

New Delhi: The 165 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Chhattisgarh police have set up a Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Bedre in Sukma district, a highly Maoist-affected area of the state, after 17 years, said a CRPF official.

New Delhi (PTI): A 25-year-old man was arrested and a juvenile apprehended for allegedly killing an acquaintance who could not pay for a sound system he had rented from the accused in north Delhi’s Sabzi Mandi area, police said on Thursday. The alleged crime took place around on January 29 around 11 PM.

ASSAM POLICE SEIZES DRUGS

WORTH `7 CRORE; THREE HELD

Guwahati: In two separate operations, police have seized contraband worth Rs 6-7 crore from the Karbi Anglong district of Assam, officials said on Thursday. A senior police officer of the district informed that they received specific inputs and conducted the operations on Wednesday. A total of three persons were held on the charges of drug peddlin John Das, a sub-divisional police officer of Bokajan, said that police set up a checkpoint at the Laharijan area of the district and intercepted a vehicle. “Upon searching the vehicle, security personnel recovered 306 grams of narcotic substances from soup cases hidden inside it.

INDIAN-AMERICAN LAWMAKERS AS MEMBERS OF KEY US HOUSE PANELS

4 BOOKED IN GUJ FOR FRAUD IN CONSTRUCTION OF TOILETS

While the FOB will effectively help in reopening the old trade route connecting Imli Bazar in Jagargunda with the district headquarters Bijapur and Dantewa-

da, it will also close the transit corridor used by the Maoists to travel between West and South

ATS arrest another accused in GPSSB paper leak case

Gujarat (ANI): Gujarat

Anti-Terrorist Squad arrested one more accused, Sarojkumar Seemanchal Malu of Odisha on Thursday in the Gujarat Panchayat Junior clerk paper leak case.

The ATS confirmed that in total 17 accused have been arrested in the paper leak case. The Gujarat Panchayat Service Selection Board (GPSSB) recruitment exam that was being held for the position of Junior clerk on Sunday was cancelled.

Earlier with the ar-

rest of Jeet Naik, Gujarat ATS Superintendent of Police Sunil Joshi announced that all the accused had been arrested in the Panchayat Junior clerk recruitment paper leak case with the total number of accused arrested being 15.

Jeet Naik, the accused who was held on Monday belonged to Hyderabad & was in charge of printing the question paper, said the ATS.

Bastar, an official said. A FOB was established in Kunder, located at a distance of 5 km from

the FOBs at Bedre, Silger & 10 km from Jagargunda FOB.

As per data, till the emergence of the Maoist threat in 2006, the Jagargunda area used to be a trading centre for tamarind & other forest produce.

The CRPF said that with this camp, the administration would be able to decisively restore the trade route and pave the way for the economic development of area.

ICG CELEBRATES 47TH RAISING DAY

BY CRPF

Indian Coast Guard

during a

the occasion of the 47th Raising Day of Indian Coast Guard, off Mangaluru coast, on Thursday. The President of India, Prime Minister and Defence Minister congratulated the Indian Coast Guard. —PHOTOS BY PTI

Respite from cold, rainfall not expected for a week

New Delhi (Agencies):

3 Indian-Americans have been named to top positions in the US. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal was named Ranking Member of the powerful House Judiciary Committee’s panel on Immigration. With the elevation, Jayapal will now be the first immigrant to serve in a leadership role for the subcommittee.

Palanpur (Agencies): A criminal complaint has been filed against four persons alleging that they siphoned off Rs 8.76 lakh of public money given for building toilets but have not constructed a single toilet. The amount was released for the construction of toilets under the Swachh Bharat Mission.

The temp may be around 9-10 degrees in the morning and 24-25 degrees in the evening.

This situation is expected to persist for 2-4 days

New Delhi (ANI): People will get a respite from the cold, as the temperature is expected to rise in the Delhi-NCR region, however, rainfall is not expected in the next one week, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a statement on Thursday.

As per IMD, currently, the Western Disturbance is affecting the Himalayan region, due to which some light rain and snowfall is expected in the Himala-

yan region especially Jammu & Kashmir in the next two days. The Western Distur-

bance also affects other places, so temperature may also increase in North West India in the

The overall weather will remain pleasant, and winds are expected to blow at around 30 km per hour

coming two-three days.

Especially in the DelhiNCR region, the temperature is expected to

rise by 9-10 degrees in the next two-three days. The temperature may be around 9-10 degrees in the morning and 24-25 degrees in the evening. This situation is expected to persist for 2-4 days. In the meantime, the maximum temperature can touch 24 degrees. However, rainfall is not expected in the next one week. The overall weather will remain pleasant, and winds are expected to blow at around 30 km per hour.

J&K Director Gen of Police Dilbag Singh addresses the press conference over the arrest of terrorist named Arif for allegedly carrying out the recent twin blast in Narwal area, in Jammu on Thursday. (Inset) Visuals of perfume IED which was recovered from the terrorist. —PHOTOS BY ANI

Fog engulfs India Gate and Kartavya Path during a cold winter morning, in New Delhi. —PHOTO BY PTI

AAP’s chief Arvind Kejriwal and media in-charge Vijay Nair

KEJRIWAL’S ASSOCIATE MAIN ACCUSED?

‘INTENTION OF SPONSORS OF TERRORISM HAS NOT CHANGED’

‘An accused is dealt with on the basis of the crime and not religion’

MAN HELD, JUVENILE DETAINED FOR MURDER

Three CRPF personnel, were injured in an IED explosion planted by Maoists in Jharkhand being airlifted for treatment on Thursday.

7 NAXALS APPREHENDED

personnel

demonstration, on

—PHOTO BY ANI

AIRTEL AFRICA Q3 RESULTS: PROFIT UP BY 7.5% TO $193 MN

INDIA TO BECOME

‘World’s 3rd largest eco by 2027’

New Delhi: Telecom operator Bharti Airtel said its African arm Airtel Africa on Thursday posted a 7.5% growth in profit after tax at $193 million, about `1,586 crore, in the third quarter ended December 2022. The revenue of Airtel Africa during the reported quarter increased by 10.7% to $1,350 million from $1,219 million in December 2021 quarter. In constant currency term, revenue of Airtel Africa grew 18%. Total customer base of company increased by 10.1% to 138.5 mn. —PTI

DABUR THIRD QTR PROFIT FALLS 5.5% TO `476.55 CRORE

New Delhi (PTI): Eminent economist Arvind Panagariya has said India is on the cusp of returning to a high growth trajectory and voiced confidence that the country will become the world’s third-largest economy by 2027-28.

Currently, India is the fifth largest economy “so it’s another five years. We are already in (the year) 2023. So 2027-28, India should be the third-largest economy,” Panagariya, Columbia University Professor and former Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, said.

A day before Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget on Wednesday, the Economic Survey tabled in Parliament pegged India’s

GDP growth at 6.5% in 2023-24. The International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook update Tuesday said growth in India is set to “decline from 6.8% in 2022 to 6.1% in 2023 before picking up to 6.8% in 2024, with resilient do-

mestic demand despite external headwinds.”

Last week, the UN said in its flagship World Economic Situation and Prospects 2023 report that India is projected to grow at 6.7% in 2024, the fastest-growing major economy in the

Budget 2023 to firmly backstop

India’s start-up ecosystem: Goyal

New Delhi: Homegrown FMCG major Dabur India Ltd on Thursday reported a decline of 5.51% in its consolidated net profit to `476.55 crore for the third quarter ended December 2022. The company had posted a net profit of `504.35 crore in the October-December quarter a year ago, Dabur India said in a regulatory filing. However, its revenue from operations rose 3.44% to `3,043.17 crore during the quarter under review against `2,941.75 crore a year ago. —PTI

RENAULT UPGRADES

CARS TO MEET EMISSION NORMS

New Delhi (PTI): Measures announced in the Budget such as extending the period of incorporation of eligible budding entrepreneurs for providing tax incentives, would provide a lot of support to further strengthen the country’s startup ecosystem, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said.

The government on Wednesday proposed to extend the period of incorporation of eligible startups by one more year till March 31, 2024, for providing tax incentives to encourage budding entrepreneurs.

Goyal said that the government has consistently been supporting the start-

up ecosystem and since the launch of the startup India initiative, the country has had significant growth in the startup arena.

“So my sense is that this (Budget) will certainly give a lot of support and help to the startup ecosystem so that it flourishes in

world. Panagariya said his reading of the Economic Survey is that the “narrative that comes across tells the story of a much stronger economy” than the one that is growing at 6.5%.

“My sense is that given where India stands cur-

‘Monthly GST revenue at `1.50 lakh cr to be new normal next fiscal’

the years to come,” the minister said.

He said that the Budget also focused on promoting startups in the agriculture sector and making ‘agripreneurs’ and giving them a boost to come up with better ideas for cold storages, food processing.

Budget’s demand-creating provisions to boost passenger vehicle sales: MSI

New Delhi: Automaker Renault on Thursday said it has upgraded its entire product range conforming to the upcoming stricter emission norms in the country. The company’s entire range, including Kiger, Triber and Kwid, will meet the second phase of BS VI emission norms which will kick-in from April 1 this year. With the implementation of the second phase of BS VI norms, all company cars will be equipped with a self-diagnostic device, the automaker said. The device will constantly monitor the vehicle’s emission levels while driving. —PTI

SUGAR PRODUCTION UP 3.42% AT 193.5 LAKH TONNES

New Delhi (PTI): The auto industry’s estimation of clocking passenger vehicle sales of around 40.5 lakh to 41.5 lakh in the next fiscal will be aided by Union Budget 2023-24, which has provided many demandcreating provisions, Maruti Suzuki India Senior Executive Officer said.

With the auto industry’s growth “very highly correlated” with the overall economy, he said the “growth oriented” Budget has ticked “most of the boxes” as far as the auto

industry is concerned.

“We have been predicting somewhere between 4.5% to 7.5% growth (in PV sales), that’s about 4.05 million to 4.15 million, for next year (2023-34). This year the industry should end at around 3.85 mn (units).”

WINDFALL TAX TO CONTINUE FOR NOW

New Delhi (PTI): The seven-month-old windfall profit tax on domestically produced crude oil and export of fuel is likely to give about `25,000 crore in the current fiscal ending March 31 and the levy will continue for now as international oil prices are up again, top government officials said. “As of now, crude prices are again on the rise. So, for time being windfall tax will continue,” CBIC chairman Vivek Johri said. Separately, Revenue Secretary said the budget has estimated collection from windfall tax at `25,000 crore in the current fiscal.

SAMSUNG TO MAKE

New Delhi: The country’s sugar production rose 3.42% to 193.5 lakh tonnes in the first four months of the ongoing marketing year ending September, on rise in output in key producing states, ISMA said on Thursday. Sugar production stood at 187.1 lakh tonnes during Oct-Jan period of the previous marketing year. Sugar marketing year runs from October to September. India is a major sugar producing country in world. —PTI

ACCORDING TO PANAGARIYA

z Currently, India is the fifth largest economy so it’s another five years. We are already in (the year) 2023. So by the year 2027-28, India should be the thirdlargest economy

z India is currently in a spot that it was in 2003 when the growth rate picked up to close to about 8%

rently, it should get back to 7% plus kind of growth rate,” he said. He added India is currently in a spot that it was in 2003 when the growth rate picked up to close to about 8% and the country sustained that kind of rate for a few years.

Sensex climbs more than 224 pts, Nifty dips 6 pts

Mumbai (PTI): Equity markets witnessed mixed trends on Thursday, with the Sensex climbing over 224 points, while the NSE Nifty dipped almost 6 points in highly volatile trade.

The 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex advanced 224.16 points or 0.38% to settle at 59,932.24. However, the broader NSE Nifty dipped 5.90 points or 0.03% to end at 17,610.40, weighed down by continuous selling in Adani group stocks. From the Sensex pack, ITC jumped 4.74%. Other major gainers were IndusInd Bank, Hindustan Unilever, Infosys, Wipro, HCL Technologies, TCS & ICICI Bank.

Schemes for MSMEs to help boost exports

New Delhi (PTI): Various schemes, including a revamped credit guarantee scheme, announced in the Budget to support MSMEs and exporters will help promote the country’s exports, AEPC said on Thursday. Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) Chairman Naren Goenka said that the focus on infrastructure, investment, green growth, youth power and inclusive development will boost India’s journey to be the fastest-growing robust economy.

Premium Galaxy S23 smartphones in India

New Delhi (PTI): Samsung on Thursday said it will manufacture its premium Galaxy S23 smartphones in India to cater to local market requirements.

The launch price of Galaxy S23 series in India is in the range of `75,000 to `1.55 lakh per piece.

At present, Galaxy S Series smartphones are being manufactured at Samsung’s Vietnam factory and the company imports them for sale in India.

“All Galaxy S23 smartphones sold in India will be manufactured at the company’s Noida factory.

Samsung already fulfils a majority of the domestic demand in India through local manufacturing at the Noida factory. Samsung’s decision to sell ‘Made in India’ Galaxy S23 smartphones shows the company’s commit-

facturing and growth story,” Samsung said in a statement.

The development comes a day after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced removal of duty on import of camera lens, which is one of the key unique

` FALLS 40 PAISE TO CLOSE AT 82.20 AGAINST US DOLLAR

New Delhi (PTI): The rupee fell 40 paise to close below the 82 per US dollar mark on Thursday, weighed down by foreign fund outflows and corporate dollar demand. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 81.81 against the greenback, and touched an intraday high of 81.71 and a low of 82.20. It finally settled at 82.20 (provisional), down 40 paise over its previous close.

OTHER STORIES

GOVT EXTENDS PMKUSUM SCHEME TILL MARCH 2026

New Delhi: The government has extended PM-KUSUM scheme till March 2026 as its implementation was significantly affected due to the pandemic.

Launched in 2019, Pradhan

Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) aimed at adding solar capacity of 30,800 MW by 2022 with total central financial support of `34,422 crore. —PTI

New Delhi (PTI): Monthly GST collection is expected to average around ` 1.50 lakh crore and it will be the ‘new normal’ in FY24 in view of concerted efforts to check evasion and bring new businesses within the GST net, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) chief Vivek

Johri said on Thursday.

Johri said the GST and Customs revenue collection numbers as given in Budget 2023-24 are realistic based on nominal GDP growth and import trends, respectively and the indirect tax collection target set for next fiscal will be achieved.

Johri said CBIC has drawn up a strategy to augment GST mop-up by way of stricter audit and scrutiny of tax returns, enforcement action against fake billing and input tax credit claims.

GST collection in current fiscal year is likely to average around ` 1.45 lakh crore. The mop-up in January came in as the second highest ever at around ` 1.56 lakh crore, the highest being `1.68 lakh crore in April 2022.

Asked if in next fiscal year, `1.50 lakh crore could be the new normal for monthly GST collection, Johri said “Yes, that I’m confident of”. “There is further scope for growth in GST revenues.”

GOVERNMENT TO SELL SOME

STAKE IN HZL THIS FISCAL

New Delhi: The government is likely to sell a part of its residual stake in Hindustan Zinc Ltd by next month to help it achieve the revised selloff target of `50,000 crore for the current fiscal. For the coming fiscal, the government has lined up strategic stake sales in companies like HLL Lifecare, PDIL, Shipping Corporation and BEML to meet the similar disinvestment target. —PTI

FCI SELLS 8.88 LAKH TONNE WHEAT TO BULK

CONSUMERS ON FIRST DAY OF E-AUCTION

MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS

z At present, Galaxy S Series smartphones are being manufactured at Samsung’s Vietnam factory and the company imports them for sale in India

z The launch price of Galaxy S23 series in India is in the range of `75,000 to `1.55 lakh per piece

selling propositions of Galaxy S series smartphones. The company on Wednesday unveiled three models of Galaxy S23.

New Delhi: State-owned Food Corporation of India (FCI) has sold 8.88 lakh tonne of wheat to bulk consumers like flour millers on the first day of e-auction conducted in 22 states, the food ministry said on Thursday. FCI commenced e-auction of wheat on February 1 under Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) for bulk users in order to improve domestic availability and check wheat prices. —PTI

AIR INDIA RESUMES

DIRECT FLIGHT B/W

MILAN & NEW DELHI

New Delhi: Tata groupoperated carrier Air India on Thursday said it has resumed its non-stop flight services to Milan from New Delhi from February 1 onwards. These services were discontinued in March 2020. The commencement of Milan flight along with Air India’s already announced flights to Vienna and Copenhagen from New Delhi will strengthen the airline’s footprint significantly in Europe. —PTI

FMCG CONSUMPTION CONTINUES TO DECLINE: REPORT

New Delhi: The country’s Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry witnessed a consumption slowdown in the December quarter, with an overall “negative” volume growth, as consumers continue to reel under inflationary pressure, says a report. According to the report released by NielsenIQ on Thursday, in Oct-Dec, the FMCG industry grew 7.6% in terms of value but its volume growth was (-) 0.3%.

Define success by the achievement of the outcomes that are important to you and happiness will be in your grasp.

— Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor-in-Chief, First India

www.firstindia.co.in

Had there been a BJP candidate, we would have won: Bawankule

Maha BJP chief displays short memory after party-backed Ganar loses in Nagpur

First India Bureau

Mumbai: In an embarrassment for the Bharatiya Janata Party, Sudhakar Adbale— backed by the Maha Vikas Aghadi—claimed the Nagpur Teachers’ constituency seat in the Maharashtra Legislative Council with a 55% majority.

Understandably, BJP state unit president

Chandrashekhar Bawankule—who, along with Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, is from Nagpur—is far from pleased. However, he was quick to point out that Nagorao Ganar’s

loss is not a reflection of the BJP.

In fact, Bawankule highlighted the fact that while Ganar may have had the party’s support, he was not an

AAP to contest bypolls to Chinchwad, Kasba Peth Assembly seats

official BJP candidate.

“It cannot be said that the loss of that seat is a failure of the BJP. Had there been a BJP candidate in Nagpur, we would have won. So, I

don’t think there is any need to get upset over this. We have won in Konkan. We got over 14,000 votes in comparison to the 1,000-1,500 votes received the last

Loss for Ganar is loss for Fadnavis, Bawankule: Raut

time,” Bawankule said, seemingly quick to forget that he, Gadkari and Fadnavis were all public in their support for Ganar. In fact, the BJP had even set up booths on polling day to show its support for Ganar.

Notably, Adbale got 14,071 votes in the first round of counting, while Ganar received less than half of that, with 6,309.

Bawankule was not the only BJP leader to comment on the shock to the party.

“The Nagpur seat was held by Congressbacked candidates for 18 years before 2010. After I became the state president of the BJP,

that place came under our control. The BJP held that seat for the last 12 years. Generally, we work on the principle of not celebrating after victories. So we will definitely analyse this defeat as well. Wherever there is a gap, we will try to fill it,”

BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar told reporters in Mumbai.

Mungantiwar also commented on the issue of the BJP getting hit over the issue of pension for teachers.

“The old pension scheme was a problem during the Congress era. It is unfortunate that we are being blamed for it,” he said.

Even if Tambe wins, he’s still an Independent: NCP’s Jayant Patil

First India Bureau Mumbai: Reacting to the defeat of the Bharatiya Janata Party-supported candidate Nagorao Ganar in the Nagpur Teachers’ constituency, MP Vinayak Raut of the Shiv Sena - Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray has claimed that Ganar’s defeat is a defeat for Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule.

Notably, Maha Vikas Aghadi candidate Sudhakar Adbale beat Ganar in the election to the Maharashtra Legislative Council.

“Nagpur assembly election is considered very important.

Haribhau Rathod, seen with AAP national chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

First India Bureau

Mumbai: The Aam Aadmi Party has announced that will contest the by-elections to the Chinchwad and Kasba Peth Assembly constituencies, potentially marking the party’s entry into Maharashtra.

Those familiar with the issue say there are four aspirants interested in the Kasba by-election, and six for the Chinchwad seat. The party will decide on its nominees soon, party insiders said.

Addressing the media in Pimpri-Chinchwad, AAP’s regional vicepresident Haribhau Rathod said, “The party’s local workers and the central leadership have discussed it and de-

cided to participate in the Chinchwad and Kasba Peth Assembly bypolls. We will announce our candidates in the next two days,”

He added that the party is confident of its chances.

“We don’t do emotional politics. We do not accept the politics of sympathy. In a democracy, no constituency is dominated by anyone. Our leaders and our party have reached every household, so we are contesting this first election in Maharashtra for the voice of the common people,” Pune district president Mukund Kirdat who, along with city working president Chetan Bendre and city president Anup Sharma were also present, said.

First India Bureau Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party has marked a victory in the Konkan region with its candidate Dnyaneshwar Mhatre winning one of the five seats up for grabs in the Maharashtra Legislative Council. This has led analysts to begin discussions on the changing equations in the state.

Meanwhile, rumours of Suspended Congress leader Satyajeet Tambe, who contested

BMC budget to be presented on February 04

First India Bureau

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Budget will be presented on February 04, in keeping with the civic body’s rules that say the Budget should be presented before Feburary 07, officials said.

The budget will be presented at 10.am and the press conference will be addressed at 11.30 pm, the Free Press Journal reported.

as an Independent from the Nashik graduates’ constituency, joining the BJP has resurfaced, with BJP leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil asserting: “Satyajeet’s victory is certain. We will continue

to insist that he joins the BJP.”

Notably, the Congress also suspended Satyajeet’s father and three-time MLC Sudhir Tambe for failing to file his nomination papers, despite having

been named as the party’s candidate for the Nashik division graduates’ seat.

However, Jayant Patil, the Maharashtra state unit chief of the Nationalist Congress Party, has rubbish such claims.

When asked if Tambe’s victory in Nashik would be a win for the BJP, Patil replied, “Even if Satyajeet Tambe wins in Nashik, it will not be a win for the BJP. Satyajeet is an Independent candidate.”

This is a constituency with a political presence of leaders like Fadnavis and Bawankule. Therefore, this defeat belongs to Fadnavis and Bawankule,” said Raut.

Speaking further, Raut said, “All the voters in Nagpur have shown that they love the Maha Vikas Aghadi more than the current government. In fact, the Maha Vikas Aghadi has won the Nagpur seat held by BJP for 12 years.”

BJP had made Ganar’s election a matter of prestige as

All the voters in Nagpur have shown that they love the Maha Vikas Aghadi more than the current government. In fact, the MVA has won the Nagpur seat held by BJP for 12 years.

—Vinayak Raut MP, Shiv Sena - UBT

Fadnavis, and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari held campaign meetings for him. In fact, the BJP had even set up booths on polling day to show its support for Ganar. However, Adbale took a decisive lead in the first round.

Adbale got 14,071 votes in the first round of counting, while Ganar received less than half of that, with 6,309.

Honest onion seller returns `8L cash, jewellery

First India Bureau

Mumbai: In our daily lives, we keep hearing about incidents revolving around dishonest humans, and contradicting the same, an onion seller in Washim has defined humanity in his own way by returning gold worth Rs8 lakhs and some cash.

On January 30, Ramesh Ghuge of Eranda village came to Washim city to buy goods and lost his bag that time. Saddened by the loss of his savings,

the onion seller Sheikh Zaheed brought him relief by returning his belongings.

After Ghuge’s bag went missing, he

Ramesh Ghuge was sitting in front of my shop. After he left, I saw a bag left there and I immediately took it in my possession. There was also a bank passbook. I could not call Ghuge as there was no phone number on the passbook. Then, I contacted Mustafa and told him about it. He coordinated with the police and helped further. I am happy that Ghuge got his items back.

—Sheikh Zaheed, Onion seller

lodged a complaint.

While the police were investigating the case, they received a call from Sheikh Mustafa. Mustafa said that

Sheikh Zaheed, a colleague of Mustafa and an onion seller in Washim town has found a bag, which the police immediately re-

covered. While praising Zaheed, the police said that if everyone shows such honesty, we can eliminate the misery from others’ lives.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar gave us blessings in Guwahati: Shinde

Guruji said very good, keep doing the good work and you will succeed, CM remembers meeting from last year

First India Bureau

Jalna: Chief Minister

Eknath Shinde said on Thursday that spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar had given him blessings and told him that he would succeed when he and other rebel Shiv Sena MLAs were camping in a Guwahati hotel. The CM was

speaking at a farmers’ gathering organized by Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living Foundation at Watur village in central Jalna district. The spiritual leader was also present on the dais. In his speech, Shinde said that Sri Sri Ravi Shankar supports good work.

“Let me tell you something...when we

were in Guwahati...,” he said. The mention of Guwahati evoked laughter from the audi-

ence, forcing the CM to pause. “...then Gurudev-ji had given me blessings over the

phone. We told him that we have launched a battle. He said very good, keep doing good work, you will succeed....Gurudev-ji supports those who are doing good work,” the CM said.

Shinde and a majority of Shiv Sena MLAs rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership in June 2022. The rebel MLAs stayed in a hotel in Guwahati, more than 2,000 km away from Mumbai, for a week, triggering the

fall of the Thackerayled Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Shinde formed the next government in the state in alliance with the BJP.

The chief minister also said that his government will actively support the Jaltara water conservation project of the Art of Living Foundation. He also claimed that the Marathwada water grid and other irrigation projects in central Maharashtra undertaken by

the earlier BJP-Shiv Sena government were stopped by the MVA regime. “But now we have restarted these projects,” Shinde said.

After coming to power, his government allowed the resumption of all religious festivals which had been banned (on account of the coronavirus pandemic), the chief minister said. Festivals are necessary as they provide solace and mental peace, he added.

Nagorao Ganar’s loss has come as a shocker to the BJP.

—FILE PHOTO

On January 30, Ramesh Ghuge of Eranda village came to Washim city to buy goods and lost his bag that time.

Jayant Patil Satyajeet Tambe

GROWING WINGS

MRIDULA SHARMA cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

You were born with potential. You were born with goodness and trust. You were born with ideals and dreams. You were born with greatness. You are not meant for crawling, so don’t. You have wings. Learn to use them and fly, believes Harshita Singh a dazzling model from Jaipur. The beauty shared her journey of how even after facing many hardships she continues to grow. Talking about the same she expressed, “I am a graduate of the journalism field and

planned. After the lockdown, I lost weight and the first thing that came to my mind was to try for the elite I remembered how impactful it was for me in 2018 when I saw elite’s auditions for the first time so in 2021 I gave my first auditions, and since then started working in Jaipur a free lance model. I was also living my dream life while I was also fight ing battles related to health behind the scene, but I kept moving forward and now being the only earning member of the family I feel like the struggle was all part of the story. Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it. The diva further added, “Because Gaurav Gaur sir, I am becom ing the independent confi dent woman that I always aspired to be.”

“EVERYTHING HAS BEAUTY, BUT NOT EVERYONE SEES IT,” EXPRESSED RAVISHING HARSHITA SINGH WHO IS ALSO ONE OF THE FINALISTS OF ELITE MISS RAJASTHAN DURING THE CHIT-CHAT SESSION WITH THE CITY FIRST!

BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY OF TRANSFORMATION

VAISH,

YOUR DAY

Aries

MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

You care about you lover but somehow hesitate in expressing that care. Don’t make friends for money and status rather make friends who will stick with you forever. On social front, you may have to spend some extra money in buying gifts for someone for some specific occasion.

Gemini

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

You are a pro in your field and none can beat you. You give tough competition to people. Many people get inspired by you. You will get special treatment from your dear ones. Take stand where you need to, don’t run in the same direction where everybody else is going.

Leo

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

You make sure to make things work your way. Never demotivate someone even if someone is not capable of doing something. You are most wanted by your friends. You can have romantic affair in office and a serious one. You will invest money in clothes and accessories today.

Libra

SEPTEMBER 24 - OCTOBER 22

Scrumptious food is what you are craving for today. You always maintain cordial relationship with everyone. You workout daily to keep yourself fit. You may start a side business to earn extra money. You are not a jealous kind and you feel happy for others.

Sagittarius

NOVEMBER 23 - DECEMBER 22

Spend time talking with likeminded people as it will make you feel good for now. Boisterous behaviour is what everyone needs right now, do whatever you can do to cheer everyone up. You will feel financially comfortable and infant you are in position to invest money in some new venture.

Aquarius

JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 19

You need a break from day to tensions and the way to cope up with stress is to meditate. You must create an environment of understanding at home. You will succeed in any sort of examination if you put your heart and soul to it. Promotion can be expected even if other are not.

Taurus

APRIL 21 - MAY 20

You love to live close to your family. Best day to buy gold and silver or any precious metal for investment sake. You are a child at heart and never let this child die. You have a big heart and you always help someone if you can. Video gathering is possible as you miss your social circle.

Cancer

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

Visit a doctor if you have any doubts about your health. Don’t attack stress even if you don’t have any. Let go of things that are not in your control. You want to have your own house and you will work hard to make your dream come true. Health remains satisfactory.

Virgo

AUGUST 24 - SEPTEMBER 23

Your spouse is someone who can do anything for your happiness. You are opportunist and this will make you successful one day. There may be delays in property possession and it won’t effect you. You are happy spending whole day at home. Help your mothers at home today.

Scorpio

OCTOBER 23 - NOVEMBER 22

You will feel amorous towards your wife. This is the best time try something new with life give yourself a new purpose. Work on your limitations, there can be no better time than this. You have more opposite sex friends than the same and you may be judged sometimes.

Capricorn

DECEMBER 23 - JANUARY 20

You are very generous by nature and also you are the backbone of your family. Today is a favourable day for business. You may postpone your study plans. You are very fortunate to have a great friend circle. Be careful of the words that come out of your mouth.

Pisces

FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 20

Your spouse may make you spend more than you expected. Fantastic day for investing money in stock market as you can make fortune. You need help on academic front and you should not shy away from asking. You miss your parents a lot and somewhere fear to loose them.

Adverse situations are inevitable parts of our life. We cannot escape them or deny their existence. How ever, as we go through the hardships of life and emerge as better ver sions of ourselves, we become stronger and more capable than be fore. Like a caterpillar goes through a metamor phosis before embrac ing its magnificence, and emerging as a beautiful butterfly, we should go through the jour ney of transfor mation to reach our potential.

The process of transformation is es sential for our ameliora tion. The process is strenuous, and people find it extremely stressful to complete this onerous journey. But we need to re member, this is a part of the growth process, which needs to be embraced more profoundly than success itself.

TRANSFORMATIONS TAKE PLACE OUTSIDE OUR COMFORT ZONE; THIS IS WHERE WE GROW AND SUCCEED Life is full of unexpected challenges and disappointments. We can’t avoid these difficulties.

We must learn to accept them as a part of the journey of life. Although this process isn’t easy, with hard work and perseverance, we can overcome our limitations and succeed in life.

VICTIM MINDSET: OUR WORST FOE

Sometimes we unknowingly slip into a victim mindset. Destructive self-talk like- Why is this happening to me? I have never done anything wrong. There are so many people out there who are so happy, but only I am suffering.

If any of these

thoughts are encroaching on your mind it’s high time to get alert. These thoughts that encourage a victim mindset, are poisonous to our minds and soul.

As wise human beings, we should have a high opinion of ourselves. Sometimes our self-esteem is adversely affected by difficult situations that we encounter in life. We should never forget that the only purpose of these situations is to make us wiser and stronger.

The way we respond to the adverse situation in our life decides our mindset. If we are not getting wiser and stronger even in adverse situations, it is a red flag, indicating that we need to change our mindset from a victim mindset to a growth mindset.

Lessons are repeated until learned. Changing one’s mindset from a victim mindset to a growth

mindset is an important part of one’s life. In the course of time, our mindset determines the quality of our Self-esteem emerges from within. It has nothing to do with external forces. Difficult situations in our life are inevitable, the best part is - they help us to grow

SELF-ESTEEM: YOU MAY BE THE ONLY

oping our self-esteem include our routine, the kind of people we surround ourselves with, the kind of books we read, the kind of thoughts we entertain, and also the way we respond to each and everything around us. The things we are watching and listening to, and our exposure to social media play a pivotal role in building our

NEVER EVER FORGET

YOUR WORTH

Be ready to witness the most bedazzling miracle once you have the courage to embrace who you really are. To stop believing in yourself is like tying yourself up. High selfesteem enables us to win over the adversities of life. It also enables us to imbibe other strong characteristics in our personality. It helps to imbibe

ESHITA SINGH cityfirst@firtsindia.co.in

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

Deepika Padukone is currently enjoying the glorious success of her recently released film, Pathaan. She reunited with Shah Rukh Khan and John Abraham for the actioner. Directed by Siddharth Anand, the film proved to be the biggest hit at the box office. Amid enjoying the thunderous success, Deepika was seen wishing her sister Anisha Padukone on her birthday with an adorable message. She took to Instagram on Wednesday night and dropped a heartwarming post for Anisha. The gorgeous actress posted a quote on her handle that read, "If you have nothing

in life but a loving sis ter, you are richer than you know." Along with the quote pic ture, Deepika wrote, "Happy Birthday" and tagged her sister. Af ter Deepika wished her sister Anisha, fans were also seen shower ing love on Anisha.

Swift's Fiasco

Taylor Lautner recently recalled the infamous 2009 MTV VMAs when his then-girlfriend Taylor Swift was interrupted by Kanye West on stage. Taylor Lautner’s wife Taylor Dome, who also goes by the name Taylor Lautner now, asked the Twilight actor, which moment he would like to go back to if he could,

on their podcast titled The Squeeze. This clip, as reported by Eonline was shared on TikTok on February 1. Without hesitating, Lautner responded that he would probably like to go back to the 2009 VMAs when he presented the award to his then-partner Taylor Swift and “was unaware that the whole Kanye (West) thing was not a skit.”

WEDDING VENUE?

Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Ad vani, who impressed the audi ence with their magical chemis try in Shershaah, are all set to take their relationship to next level.

Reportedly, the duo will be tying the knot on February 6 in Jaisalmer, Ra jasthan. On Thursday morning, a pa parazzo took to Instagram and shared details of Sidharth and Kiara's D-day. In the post, the paparazzo also revealed that the media will reach Suryagarh Palace on Friday to cover the pre-wed ding festivities. The post read, "We are heading to Jaisalmer to cover #kiaraad vani and #sidharthmal hotra wedding. We will land tomorrow and then take a jeep to Jaisalmer. One team will have to wait at Jodh

NEW RELEASE DATE

Fans are super excited ever since Karan Johar an nounced his upcoming di rectorial Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani. With this film, KJO will be breaking his hiatus of almost 7 years and will be return ing to the director’s seat. On Thursday Alia took to her Insta gram handle to share the new release date of the film. Alia Bhatt shared a poster of Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani and announced the new release date of the film. Now the Ranveer Singh starrer will be released on July 28, 2023.

In love with life

icky Kaushal, the supremely talented actor is happily married to the renowned Bollywood star Katrina Kaif.

In a recent interview with Lifestyle Asia, Vicky opened up about their love

The actor, who has earlier mentioned that marriage made him a better person, heaped praise on his lovely wife in his interview with Lifestyle Asia. "I think a person in love is always the best version of themselves and I guess that’s what is radiating out of me. I love my wife. I love my family. I’m in love with life. And I guess that is what comes out. I can only guess what makes them say these nice things about me but I’m grateful for these kind words. I’m as flawed as everybody else. But still, to be on the receiving end of such nice words, it’s humbling."

nanya Panday is set to headline a yet-untitled cyber-thriller that will be directed by filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane. “When Vikramaditya Motwane approached me with this story, I just knew I had to be part of it. As a filmmaker, he has been on my wish list for as long as I can remember, and I feel really lucky to be working with him so early in my career,” Panday said. Producer Nikhil Dwivedi said, “When Vikram shared the script with me, it was one of the most interesting materials I had laid my hands on in recent times and I decided within a few hours to participate in this. Ananya is a commendable artiste, and someone to watch out for in times to come. I am excited that

CONFIRMATION

Rita Ora just confirmed her marriage with filmmaker Taika Waititi after months of speculation. The pop singer recently confirmed the news in an interview with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden on Heart Radio Breakfast as she promoted her new single You Only Love Me.

In the aforementioned interview, Rita Ora was asked if she was indeed married to Waititi. As reported by PEOPLE, she responded by saying that she is

‘officially off the market’. “Yes. Here we are," she said. “They say everything happens for a reason. I am officially off the market, people!"

When asked if she planned on taking Waititi as her last name, the singer commented that although she has thought about it, she has also worked hard for her last name ‘Ora’. She then reflected that she does believe in sharing the journey with her husband, and concluded that she has not decided yet.

Deepika Padukone Ananya Panday

Kiara Advani

Taylor Swift

Katrina Kaif Alia Bhatt

Rita Ora

NEWS CHANNEL BHARAT EXPRESS LAUNCHED

A new Hindi news channel has entered the market. Bharat Express under the leadership of renowned journalist Upendra Rai was launched on 01 February at Hotel Andaz, New Delhi and was attended by political leaders and senior bureaucrats. Union Minister, I&B Anurag Thakur, Union Minister Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, MoS, Road Transport & Highways and Civil Aviation Gen(Retd.) VK Singh MoS Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Sanjeev Baliyan, MoS, Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, former CEC Sunil Arora, CEO and Editor-in-Chief Bharat24 Jagdeesh Chandra and OSD to Haryana CM Amit Arya also reached to congratulate Upendra Rai. Many MPs also attended the event as did renowned poet Kumar Vishwas. The ‘prarthana’ as the event started by Saadyant and Kaushal, the son and daughter of Upendra Rai left everyone spellbound. Jagdeesh Chandra gave his best wishes for the new venture to Upendra Rai and also met the family members of Rai.

BE BOLLYWOOD: THE ICONIC

GLAM ONN CALENDAR 2023

that is top-notch. I’m proud to have a team that shares this philosophy and I’m glad to have them on board for projects that test creative capabilities''

MEET & GREET

The Glam Onn Calendar, 2023, Launched on the 1st of February 2023 at True Tramm Trunk, Juhu with a star-studded night, taking us back and filling us with the nostalgia of watching iconic Bollywood scenes.

Parimal Mehta, the CEO at Blanckanvas Media Pvt. Ltd. says, “We’re always looking to build affinity with projects like Galm Onn. Brands today need a strong presence and presence is only felt with quality work. At Blanckanvas, we’re on the continuum of pursuing milestones, one after the other with honest hard work that often produces an output

Here’s to starting 2023 with a stellar, glamorous photoshoot that will recreate iconic moments from blockbusters given to us by our very own film industry. Glam Onn calendar, 2023, has followed a thematic world and promises to bring back those iconic Bollywood trends that got us at the edge of our seats, filled with plush emotions clicked by Celebrity Photographer Sayan Sur Roy, Styled by Rehan Shah, Costumes by JC collection, Sarees by Parramparraa Sarees and Iconic looks by Maganlal Dresswala Juhu.

The project is executed by the team at Blanckanvas, a group of creative individuals that often go sideways and produce content that leaves us in awe, Powered by Waman Hari

Mere Sawaal Ka out now!

Love is in the air as the makers of Shehzada just dropped a sizzling romantic track.

After two peppy numbers, Chedkhaniyan and Munda Sona Hoon Main, makers now come up with a new track ‘Mere Sawaal Ka’ that is high on romance featuring Kartik Aaryan romancing with his co-star Kriti Sanon!

Set in the fuzzy backdrop of Delhi, ‘Mere Sawaal Ka’ is penned by Sholks Lal with beautiful composition by Pritam and mesmerising vocals by Shashwat Singh & Shalmali Kolgade.

Shehzada is directed by Rohit Dhawan, starring Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Manisha

Koirala, Paresh Rawal, Ronit Roy, and Sachin Khedekar, and music by Pritam, produced by Bhushan Kumar, Allu Arvind, Aman Gill, and Kartik Aaryan, the film is set to release on 17th February 2023. As fans are excited for the big movie, the celebs and co workers are looking forward to the magical duo.

Pethe Jewellers, Co Powered by Amaze 1 Tv and Shot on Nikon Indian Pvt Ltd Nikon Z9. This is Blankanvas' 4th season in the calendar series, fulfilling an overwhelming response that came from the last three. The theme for this year’s calendar is locked under the name of “Be Bollywood'' and has captured the evergreen essence of iconic characters through their very style. Celebrities and Models like Anupriya Goenka, Srishty Rode, Asmita Sood, Paras Kalnawat, Piyush Sahdev, Arti Singh, Rajiv Adatia, Tanya Sharma, Shruti Sinha, Vishal

Singh, Nyra Banerjee, Manya Singh, Mir Sarwar, Vaibhav Maurya, Kavita Kharayat, Iris Maity, Shreeradhe, Karishma Modi, Manasi Moghe, Lakshya Sharma, Rohit Khandelwal, Prateikk Jain, Jitesh Nikam, Harsh Arora, Riddhi Mehta and Mamta Kanwar, It has closely

followed the apparel worn by stars themselves giving a tribute to the iconic posters of the movies like DDLJ, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Padmavat, Baahubali, Ram-Leela, Devdas and many more.

Furthermore, Launch Partner Sacrom Pharma, Zesto and Rootz, Print Partner Mid-Day, Pouring Partner Casablanca sparkling wine, Goodtimes Partner Kingfisher Premium, Energy partner Scream, Radio partner Radio City 91.1fm, Make up by Bombay School of Makeup and Hair, Event Partner Black Rabbit & Bzam, Music by Sohnik, Outdoor partner Bright Outdoor Media, Gifting Partner Herbal Botanica, Videography by HK productions, Media partner Bharat 24 and First India, Hydration Partner Brijeel, Celebration partner Madhu’s Kitchen, Content Partner IRA, and Magazine partner Svar Media and PR Partner Picture N Kraft. More in City First Tomorrow

Author Paulo Coelho gave a special shoutout to Shah Rukh Khan after the tremendous success of his latest film Pathaan. The Bra zilian novelist re sponded to a video shared by the actor thanking his fans gathered outside his house in Mumbai.

Taking to Twitter, Paulo responded to a video shared by

A DAY TO REMEMBER!

The flagship show of Bharat24 and First India News, The JC Showan insightful and indepth analysis of the impact of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra by Jagdeesh Chandra was telecast live on Thursday at 2:30 pm from the stateof-art studio of Bharat24 at NOIDA. During his visit, Jagdeesh Chandra also greeted all the staff members whose birthdays fell in January 2023 and awarded Anchor Pooja for 6935368 views on her video in January and Anchors Surbhi (2.025 Million) and Mahima (2. 013) also for their fantastic SM presence.

Paulo Coelho calls Shah Rukh legend

Shah Rukh where his fans gathered outside his house in Mumbai. He wrote,

"King. Legend. Friend. But above all GREAT ACTOR ( for those who don’t know him in the West, I strongly suggest “My name is Khan- and I am not a terrorist”)." One fan replied, "Wooww… and what a way to introduce to those who don’t know him." While another added, "Paulo thank you man you always stand by our king srk lots and lots of love."

Jagdeesh Chandra was greeted by Pratyush, Dayashankar Rai, Divyanshi, Dr Deepak, Sant Prasad, Sneha Rai and Maitreyee during a courtesy meet on Thursday.

Syed

and

Bharat24 team, Anu Shridhar, Amit Ojha, Shashikesh Ranjan, Prasoon Shukla, Amit Baliyan, Sandeep Mishra, Raj Kumar Pathak, Pratham Soni and Abhishek Rao

Jagdeesh Chandra awards Pooja Yadav, also seen are Amrita Garg, Aditi Nagar, Shikha Thakur, Mahima Kanwar, Amit Mishra, Pooja Yadav, Anu Shridhar, Syed Umar, Shashikesh Ranjan and Naushad Khan

The Birthday celebrations for the January birthday staff members

Jagdeesh Chandra awards Surabhi Tiwari, also seen are Anu Shridhar, Syed Umar and Shashikesh Ranjan

Jagdeesh Chandra awards Mahima Kanwar, also seen are Syed Umar, Amrita Garg and Pooja Yadav

Anurag Thakur with Upendra Rai and Amit Arya

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Sunil Arora, Kumar Vishwas, Upendra Rai with a guest at the lamp lighting ceremony

Jagdeesh Chandra with Upendra Rai and singer B Praak

Jagdeesh Chandra with Reporter Komal Behl and Saadyaant Jagdeesh Chandra with Anchor Garima Singh

Saadyant and Kaushal Rai

Parimal Mehta, Khalid Ansari and Ashish Tiwari

Arti Singh and Krushna Abhishek

Jagdeesh Chandra with Pratyush, Dayashankar Rai, Divyanshi, Dr Deepak, Sant Prasad, Sneha Rai and Maitreyee

Paulo Coelho

Shah Rukh Khan

—PHOTOS BY SHAZID CHAUHAN

Poster of the song...