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VOL. XXXX NO. 338 | INDORE | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024 | PAGES 14 `3 r Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2021-2023; r RNI No. 38281/83 www.freepressjournal.in

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EDITIONS: INDORE, BHOPAL, UJJAIN, MUMBAI, PUNE

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4TH PHASE: 71.22% POLLING IN STATE

Indore sees
least polling
among 8 seats
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
The final and fourth phase of
Lok Sabha election passed off
peacefully in Madhya
Pradesh on Monday. Till 6 pm,
the tentative voting percent-
age of all eight Lok Sabha
seats vis Dewas, Ujjain, Mand-
saur Ratlam, Dhar, Indore,
Khargone and Khanwda
stood at 71.72 %.
This voting figure is likely to
increase as final voting
figures were yet to come out.
Among the all eight Lok Sab-
ha seat, Indore recorded the
lowest 61.75 % voting.
The polling percent of
Dewas parliamentary seat
stood at 74.86% followed by Uj-
jain (73.03 %), Mandsaur (74.50
%), Ratlam (72.86 %), Dhar
(71.50 %), Khargone (75.79 %)
and Khandwa (70.72 %).
Giving the aforesaid informa-
tion, chief electoral officer
Oppn says Pak is not
wearing bangles, we will
Will Lalwani
create history
make them wear it: PM
with victory
margin
OUR STAFF REPORTER
Indore
BJP candidate Shankar
Lalwani, who did not get
an opponent from
Congress, the main rival
party in Indore, has an
opportunity to create
history by registering a
victory with largest
Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a roadshow with Uttar
number of votes across
India. There are around Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the Lok Sabha
26 lakh voters in Indore elections, in Varanasi on Monday
Lok Sabha constituency.
With 61.75 per cent of MUZAFFARPUR/HAJIPUR they do not even have an ad-
electorate exercising equate supply of bangles,'
their franchise in Indore, Prime Minister Narendra the PM said.
total ballots polled is Modi on Monday lashed out "But, we must look care-
believed to be around 15 at the opposition INDIA fully at the opposition
lakh. Even if NOTA, on bloc, calling its leaders which seems to be full of
Tribal voters in queue wait patiently for their turn outside polling station in tribal dominated Jhabua district on Monday the call by Congress, 'cowards' who were 'scared cowards and timid people,
drew 2 lakhs votes and of Pakistan's nuclear pow- who give a clean chit to Pak-
KHARGONE RATLAM MANDSAUR DHAR all other candidates er'. istan on terrorism, raise

75.79% 72.86% 74.50% 71.50%

Anupam Rajan said that as far
as assembly wise polling per-
centage of all eight Lok Sabha
seats is concerned then
highest polling percentage of
together garnered 50,000
votes, the victory margin
of Lalwani would be not
less than 10 lakh votes,
INDORE UJJAIN DEWAS KHANDWA which will be the biggest
Addressing an election
rally in Muzaffarpur Lok
Sabha constituency of Bi-
har, PM Modi made an ap-
parent reference to a recent
doubts on surgical strikes...
their Left allies even want
our nuclear arsenal to be
dismantled," he said.
Earlier, addressing an

61.75% 73.58% 74.86% 70.72%

84.51 percent was recorded in victory margin ever in statement of National Con- election rally in Hajipur
Sailana. Ratlam Gramin regis- Indian Parliamentary ference leader Farooq Ab- Lok Sabha constituency,
tered second highest polling elections. dullah, without mentioning PM Modi said the money re-
percentage of 80.61 %. Panse- The previous record of him by name. covered in raids against
mal of Khargone saw 78.49 %
voting. Ujjain's Ghatia assem-
PHASE WISE POLLING 68.45 % WOMEN TURN UP TO VOTE highest victory margin
rests with Pritam Munde,
'The INDIA bloc seems to
have leaders who are scared
politicians 'belonged to the
country's poor'.
bly seat's polling percentage The average polling percentage of first phase was 67.75 %, Like the first three rounds of Lok Sabha election, the male who won by-election of Pakistan and have night- "I will tell you why they
was pegged at 77.93 %. In In- second phase 58.59 % and third phase 66.75 %. As far a voters outshined the female voters in fourth phase as well. with 6.96 lakh votes at mares of its nuclear power,' are crying hoarse against
dore, among the five assembly fourth phase of polling is concerned then it stood at 71.72 The percentage of male voters was registered at 75.01 % Bheed seat in he said. the action of agencies like
seats from where least voting % and it is highest from first three rounds. while the female voter turnout stood at 68.45 %. In the Maharashtra in October The remarks come in the the ED. During the previous
percentage was reported, In- third phase of election, male voting percentage was 2014, after the untimely backdrop of comments by Congress regime, the ED
dore 3 recorded 56.54 % polling, pegged at 69.69 %. The female voting percentage was death of her father and Abdullah about Pakistan seized only ? 35 lakh, which
Indore 5 voting percentage was 2019 LOK SABHA POLLS 63.52 %. This means that in comparison to the third former Union minister having atom bombs and not could be contained in a
57.54 %, Indore 2 voting per- round, the female voting percentage increased in the Gopinath Munde. wearing bangles. school bag. Ever since we
In the Lok Sabha election 2019, the voting percentage of fourth round. BJP, Election Commission and other Incidentally, NOTA also
centage stood at 58.03 %, Indore Dewas was 79.46 %, Ujjain 75.40 %, Mansaur 77.84 %, 'If Pakistan does not wear took over, the agency has re-
1 polling percentage was 59.84 organizations carried out a dedicated campaign, urging has a chance to set a new bangles, we will make the covered ? 2,200 crore, which
Ratlam 75.66 %, Dhar 75.25 %, Indore 69.31 %, Khargone voters to step out of their home and cast the vote. This record if it polls more
% and Indore 4 registered 77.82 % and Khandwa 76.90 %. country wear them. I knew would require 70 small
polling percentage of 61.89 %. helped a lot in increasing the voting percentage. than 52,000 votes. they did not have food trucks to be carried," said
grains. Now, I come to know the PM. CONTD. ON P7
CM CASTS VOTE IN UJJAIN
UJJAIN: Chief Minister Mohan Yadav along 63% VOTING, VIOLENCE
with his family members cast votes at polling
booth number 60 at Alakhdham Sindhi IN ANDHRA, WB Ab jaldi hi karni padegi: RaGa
Dharmshala in Freeganj area. In all, Ujjain-Alot
NEW DELHI: A voter turnout of nearly 63% was RAEBARELI: After evading queries for years, Congress
(SC reserve) parliamentary constituency,
recorded on Monday in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday finally responded to a
reported 73.58% polling. Out of eight
elections covering 96 constituencies spread over 10 states question about his marriage. Gandhi scion Rahul, who
assembly segments of the constituency, highest
and Union Territories, with scattered incidents of vio- is considered one of the most eligible bachelors in the
77.68% voting was recorded in Ghatiya (SC
lence reported in West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. country, was addressing a meeting in Raebareli on
reserve) assembly segment while lowest
West Bengal again recorded an impressive turnout at Monday when someone from the crowd teased the sen-
67.22% polling was recorded in Ujjain South
75.94%, the highest among states/UTs in this phase. Srina- ior Congress leader about his marital status and asked
segment. Incidentally, Ujjain-South assembly
gar constituency in J&K witnessed 36.58% voting in the him when he plans to tie the knot. His sister Priyanka
seat is represented by the chief minister.
first Lok Sabha election in the Valley since the scrapping Gandhi who was standing close to him drew Rahul
Collector Neeraj Kumar Singh told Free Press
of Article 370, with the EC stating that it was the "highest Gandhi’s attention to the question and he said, “Ab
that the voting was peaceful and final voting
turnout in decades". "Polling in the fourth phase of Gen- jaldi hi karni padegi (now, I will have to get married
figures could be known by Tuesday. In 2019 CM Mohan Yadav standing in queue before casting his vote in Ujjain on eral Elections 2024 recorded an approximate voter turnout soon).”On hearing his reply, the crowd cheered wildly
parliamentary elections, Ujjain-Alot
constituency had registered 75.40% turnout.
Monday morning. FP PHOTO of 62.84 per cent till 8 pm,” said EC. and Rahul Gandhi responded with a smile.

9 killed, over 70 injured as billboard Now, Jaipur

schools
ASHOKA GARDEN CASH RECOVERY CASE

and metal tower collapse in Mumbai
CM Eknath Shinde
orders probe
MUMBAI: At least nine
persons were killed and
over 70 others injured on
Monday in rain-related in-
cidents in Mumbai where-
in a 100-foot tall billboard
NEWS BRIEF fell on a petrol pump in
Ghatkopar area while an
Sushil Modi, ex-dy under-construction metal
CM of Bihar, dies tower collapsed on a road
NEW DELHI: Senior BJP amid gusty winds in
leader and former deputy Wadala, officials said.
chief minister The billboard, which was
of Bihar, illegal according to civic
Sushil Modi, officials, uprooted and fell
died at Delhi's on a petrol pump at the
All-India Cheddanagar Junction in
Institute of Ghatkopar, killing eight
Medical people and injuring 70 oth-
Sciences this ers.
evening. He was 72. Modi "78 people have been
was battling cancer and was pulled out so far from un-
admitted in the intensive care der the hoarding, of which
unit of AIIMS for the last one eight are declared dead,
month. while 70 others were in-
NDRF personnel look for survivors during a rescue operation at
Ghatkopar where a billboard came crashing down
jured. They were rushed to
various hospitals," a injured," a civic official
senior police officer said,
adding that the search and
rescue operation is under-
way at the spot.
In Bandra, a branch of a
tree fell on a shop, trapping
two persons. "Of them, a
38-year-old died while an-
other person was seriously
said.
In Wadala, an under-con-
struction metal parking
tower collapsed on a road
amid gusty winds, injuring
three persons and damag-
ing vehicles.
CONTD. ON P7
receive bomb
threats
JAIPUR: Over 50 schools
here received bomb
threats via email on Mon-
day morning, triggering
panic among students and
their parents, police said.
However, no explosive or
anything suspicious has
been found so far in these
schools, they added.
The threatening emails
to schools came 12 days af-
ter a similar scare in Del-
hi-NCR where 150 schools
received bomb threat
emails from a Russia-
based mailing service on
May 1, triggering massive
evacuations and searches.
On Sunday, 20 hospitals,
including the IGI Airport
and the Northern Rail-
ways' CPRO office, in Del-
hi received similar emails.
The authorities declared
both the incidents as
hoax.
Rs 40.11L recovered from
house of Khatri's sister
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
Police seized Rs 40.11 lakh
from a house in Bairagarh
owned by the sister of
Kailash Khatri from whose
Ashoka Garden house they
had seized Rs 31 lakh a few
days back. With this the total
cash seized is over Rs 71
lakh, police revealed on
Monday.
DCP (Zone-1), Priyanka
Shukla said that they sus-
pect that Kailash Khatri
from house the initial cash
seizure was made is involved
in hawala operation. At the
time the cash was seized,
Khatri had told police that
he worked as a money ex-
changer. The seized amount
was handed over to I-T de-
partment. Later, on Thurs-
day, a police team, under the
supervision of additional
DCP (Zone-1) of Bhopal,
Rashmi Agrawal Dubey,
raided the house of Khatri's
sister, located in Bairagarh,
where they found Rs 40.11
lakh cash money. Police
said that while sifting
through CCTV footages,
they saw Khatri transport-
ing bags to Bairagarh. Sus-
pecting that they contained
money, they raided the
house and seized the money.
‘Hawala operator’
DCP Shukla told Free Press
that the police also came to
know that Khatri operated a
hawala business and deploy
middlemen, who used to
hunt for people trying to
exchange notes. He allegedly
also paid commission to all
the middlemen. DCP Shukla
said that the I-T dept has
been informed about the
seizures
DCP Shukla said that in
connection with the case,
the station house officer
(SHO) of Ashoka Garden po-
lice station, Vandana
Lakade, and four other cops
had been suspended, as they
carried out the raids and
took further actions without
taking the senior police offi-
cials into confidence.

Girls outshine boys

in both Class 10, 12
BHOPAL: The Central Board
of Secondary Education
(CBSE) has announced the
Modi faces 70 contestants in Varanasi AAP MP cries assault
at Kejriwal’s house
BISWAJEET BANERJEE / tions. sonnel. However, only 26 nominations. chaotic with hundreds of NEW DELHI : In a mysterious case, the Delhi police on
Class 12 and 10 board LUCKNOW The influx of swift intervention Rajasthan's well known people vying to file nomi- Monday claimed to have received distress
examinations results on candidates created by officers helped mimicry artist Shyam nations. calls from former Delhi Commission for

Monday. 82.46% of the
students from MP who wrote
the Class 12 CBSE examination
have been declared successful.
In Class 12, the MP (Bhopal
region) was 14 among 17
regions of the CBSE in the
country in terms of pass
percentage. (PG-5)
A
day before PM
Modi files his nom-
ination papers, the
office of the Varanasi Col-
lector witnessed utter
chaos as more than a hun-
dred individuals from var-
ious parts of the country
arrived to file nomina-
pandemonium, defuse the Rangeela encountered ob- It appears they have al- Women chairperson and Aam Aadmi
prompting police situation and re- stacles in depositing his ready predetermined whose Party MP Swati Maliwal in which she al-
intervention and store order. By the nomination papers. “We papers they will accept and legedly told them that Delhi chief minis-
the closure of the end of the day, ap- are being deprived of our whose they will not,” he ter Arvind Kejriwal’s personal assistant
office gates. Ten- proximately 70 in- right to contest the elction. lamented. PM Modi will file Bibhav Kumar had assaulted her on his
sions escalated as dividuals had suc- Initiallythey requested 10 his nomination after having directions at his residence. However, Mali-
clashes erupted between cessfully submitted their proposers. Today I arrived darshan of Kashi Kotwal wal, who later also visited the Civil Lines
the aspiring contestants nomination forms,. In the with the required number Baba Kal Bhairav on Tues- police station here, did not lodge a formal complaint in the
and law enforcement per- last election, there were but the situation was day. CONTD. ON P7 matter and left stating that’s she would do so later.
INDORE CITY
Rains, hail showers
cool city after poll heat
Various colonies at Bypass
witnessed hail showers but many
areas remained dry as well
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.indore@fpj.co.in
City weather took U-turn
on Monday evening, follow-
ing hot and humid day, as
rain coupled with hail
showers lashed many parts
of the city on Monday. The
change in weather sur-
prised residents and
caught those on roads off-
guard and drenched.
The city also witnessed
thunderstorm with gusty
winds which were blowing
at a speed of 60 kmph. How-
ever, the sudden change in
weather conditions provid-
ed relief to residents from
hot and humid conditions.
Meanwhile, officials of
Two detained in
connection with
youth’s murder
Four suspects
still on the run
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.indore@fpj.co.in
Two people were detained
by the police on Monday in
connection with the mur-
der of a youth in Azad Na-
gar area last night. Four
other suspects are being
searched by the police.
Azad Nagar police station
in-charge Neeraj Medha
said that Moin Khan (20)
was found murdered be-
hind Noorani Mosque late
on Sunday. A gunshot was
found on his chest. During
investigation, the police
came to know that Moin’s
elder brother fled with a
girl from the family of one
EVMs put in three-layered security blanket in strong rooms
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.indore@fpj.co.in
At the end of polling of 2024
Lok Sabha election of the dis-
trict, Collector and District Re-
turning Officer Asheesh Singh
said that the election was con-
ducted peacefully and in a
transparent manner. EVMs are
News in Brief
BoM provides facilities at
Adarsh polling booths
INDORE: ‘Ek Parivaar Ek Bank’ and ‘Samjhe Aap Ke Dil
Ki Baat’ are mottos of Bank of Maharashtra (BoM). In an
effort to
implement this,
BoM, in
collaboration
with the Election
Commission and
the Municipal
Corporation,
provided many
facilities at two
Adarsh polling
stations during Lok Sabha elections on Monday.
The two large polling stations Silicon City Club House and
Kanakeshwari Mahavidyalaya in Nanda Nagar, each with
more than 10 polling booths, were designated as Adarsh
polling booths. These booths were decorated by the bank
and arrangements were made for voters, including
provision of pure drinking water, soft drinks, selfie points
and special means for children's entertainment.
The bank’s Zonal Chief M Satyanarayana stated that with
our connection to 16 branches in Indore district,
whenever we are entrusted with any responsibility by the
administration, we strive to fulfill it with dedication and
contribute positively to the city's welfare.
Lily Dawar conferred with
Sweep Ambassador Award
INDORE: Lily Sanjay Dawar was honoured with Sweep
Brand Ambassador Award by Smart City and Sheroes
Sewa Social
Welfare Society
(SSSWS) in an
awareness
programme
organised for
voter education,
at Pritamlal Dua
Sabhagrah. The
CEO of Smart
City - Divyank
Singh and Janvi Chandwani -Director of Sheroes,
bestowed the honour upon educationist Lily Sanjay
Dawar. A significant number of women who have made
their mark in various fields attended the event. Lily Sanjay
Dawar managed the prestigious event with grace.
INDORE | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024
the Regional Meteorologi-
cal Department said that
similar conditions will pre-
vail on Tuesday as
well.
‘A cyclonic
circulation
lies over
south inte-
rior Kar-
nataka
and a grees Celsius in the
trough
runs from
this to north-
west Madhya
Pradesh in the low-
er tropospheric levels. An-
other cyclonic circulation
lies over Comorin area in
lower tropospheric levels,’
Met officials said.
of the accused so they were
having a dispute over the
same. After the incident,
family members of the de-
ceased created a ruckus at
MY Hospital alleging that
the police did not take the
matter seriously due to
which the incident hap-
pened.
Police believed that sus-
pects Arif, Nahib, Yusuf
and Wasim were involved
in the murder. A case under
section 302 of the IPC was
registered against them.
During investigation, two
persons named Aliyas and
Ahmed were detained by
the police. Police said that
they had called Moin at the
spot. However, investiga-
tion is on and a search is be-
ing conducted to nab the
suspects.
Whole election process completed peacefully: Collector
and District Returning Officer Asheesh Singh
being put in three-
layered
blanket of strong
rooms.
Singh was talking
to media persons
Cong leader’s office damaged
by BJP supporters; 2 injured
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.indore@fpj.co.in
A group of youths carry-
ing knives entered
Complainant had an argument with the
accused during voting in the morning
The rain began in the
evening and continued for
the office of Con-
gress leader Vinod
an hour with varying in-
tensity in different parts
Babbu Yadav and
damaged property
of the city, but the meteor-
ological office at the city
amid voting in the
Pardesipura area
airport received a few mil- on Monday
limetres of rainfall till evening. Two people Vicky
evening. ‘Rain and gusty Yadav and Vikas Yadav
winds will continue to hit were injured in the inci-
various parts of the state dent. It is said that Babbu
including Indore had an argument with
division,’ Met officials Ankit Yadav, son of IMC
said. speaker Munnalal Yadav
Rainfall in the evening at a polling booth in the
also turned city’s weather morning. The youths not
cool as temperature only brandished knives
dropped to a couple of de- but also damaged two vehi- there. They also damaged acquaintance of the agent.
cles including a car and a bike and a car parked Babbu intervened and
evening. also misbehaved with a outside the office. The ve- saved the youth and even
Under the in- Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhat- However, the maximum woman. Police have regis- hicles belong to a neigh- had an argument with the
fluence of these tisgarh, Madhya Maha- temperature on Monday tered a case against many bour. The entire incident attackers. Babbu said that
systems, isolated to rashtra and Marathwada was recorded at 38.3 de- people including eight was captured on CCTVs the attack on his office was
scattered light to mod- during the next 5 days and grees Celsius which was identified youths under installed there. The youths related to this incident.
erate rainfall accompa- accompanied with thun- two degrees Celsius below various sections of the were also seen beating a ACP (Pardeshipura)
nied with thunderstorm, derstorm, lightning and normal while the mini- IPC and further investiga- youth and misbehaving Narendra Rawat informed
lightning and squally gusty winds (30-40 kmph) mum temperature was tion is on into the case. with a woman. Some the Free Press that a case
winds (40-60 kmph) are are very likely over Gu- recorded at 26 degrees Cel- According to informa- youths were identified and has been registered
very likely over Madhya jarat region on May 14. sius which was two de- tion, the incident took the Congress activists against Montu Yadav,
place at Yadav’s office in reached the police station Lakhan Jat, Suraj Jat, He-
Bajrang Nagar around 5.15 to lodge an FIR. mant, Ashish Pal, Adarsh,
IMC’S FAKE DRAINAGE BILL SCAM
pm. Babbu Yadav Babbu informed media Cherry, Koushal Jat and
Scooter riders rob informed media persons persons that Congress was other youths on the com-
student of mobile Police going that he and other activists
were at his office when 25
supporting an independ-
ent candidate and he had
plaint of Babbu Yadav un-
der sections 452, 427, 323,
phone
through GST, ITR
to 30 youths came there
and pelted stones. Some of
them were carrying knives
gone to a booth to provide
breakfast to his agent
when he saw some youths
147, 148, 149, 294, 336, 506 of
the IPC and the police have
started a search for them.
OUR STAFF REPORTER and threatened people thrashing an
filed by accused
city.indore@fpj.co.in
Two men on a scooter robbed a man of
his mobile phone in Sanyogitaganj
area, police said on Monday. The sus- OUR STAFF REPORTER
Registration for ‘Change in political dynamics
pects were captured on CCTV but they city.indore@fpj.co.in
CUET-PG
could not be arrested till filing of this
report.
According to the police, Dhruv Prat-
Police are going through the ITR and GST
filed by contractors, who were arrested in counselling begins prime reason for sharp
ap Bagri, a resident of Satna has
lodged a complaint that he is a student
and he resides in a hotel in Navlakha
connection with the IMC’s fake drainage bill
scam case. Also, the role of Abhay Rathore,
the prime accused in the scam is also being
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.indore@fpj.co.in decline in polling percentage’
area. On May 9, he was going some- investigated by the police. Registrations for CUET-PG
where when two persons on a scooter
came from behind and one of them
MG Road police station in-charge Vijay
Singh Sisodiya said that Rathore is on police
counselling for admission
in the teaching depart- Frustrated and has seen a sharp drop of
about 7.57% in the voting
snatched his mobile phone and fled the
scene. Bagri cried for help when some
remand till May 15. He has allegedly confessed
to his crime but he named EE Gupta and other
ments of Devi Ahilya Vish-
wavidyalaya (DAVV) began disappointed percentage as only about
61.75% people exercised
people gathered at the spot but the ac-
cused managed to flee.
IMC employees and contractors’ for their al-
leged involvement in the scam. Now, the police
on Monday. Students, who
had taken CUET-PG can supporters their franchise compared
to 2019 figure of 69.32%.
Police registered a case on Sunday.
It is said that the CCTVs of the area
are gathering details of GST and ITR filed by
the contractors. Police are also going through
register for counselling till
May 31. avoid voting The former IAS officer
outrightly discarded that
were examined and two suspects were the ITR filed by Rathore. On Sunday, police After registrations are the reason for the low
seen in the camera. A police team has had recovered an I-phone 14 which Rathore al- over, the university will re- MANISH UPADHYAY turnout of voters was
been constituted to arrest the phone legedly bought from the money of commission lease merit list of students city.indore@fpj.co.in high temperature. He
snatchers. Due to polls, police security he received in the scam. It was a scam of over in the first week of June pointed that the same
has been tightened but cops were not Rs 107 crore but the police found that Rs 30 and begin counselling ‘The city witnessed an kind of high temperature
seen at the spot at the time of the inci- crore were received by the accused so far. They from June 10. unprecedented political was there in 2019 as well.
dent. had put fake bills of Rs 60 crore. There is a possibility that turmoil before and dur- ‘The primary reason for
10k students will be called ing the Lok-Sabha elec- the sharp decline in the
for the first round of coun- tion when
selling. CUET coordinator two former
at DAVV, Prof Kanhaiya MLAs of the
Ahuja said the university Congress
will hold counselling near- joined the
ly a week after the merit BJP and in a
list is released so that stu- rare incident,
dents from other states get even the Lok
ample time to reach Indore Sabha candi-
here at the Nehru Stadium on Mon- After conducting polling, EVMs are and participate in the ad- date of the
security day. He said that as per being put in the strong rooms, mission process. Congress
preparations and guidelines of the which will be under three-layered Eyeing admission in withdrew his
ECI, elections were conducted security. If any candidate would DAVV, around 40k students nomination,
peacefully. He hoped that the polling like to see the like feed of the strong had registered for CUET- quit the party
percentage would be around 62pc. room, it would also be arranged. PG. Of them, around 80pc and joined the
students had given the BJP. This situ-
exam. Around 1800 seats in ation disap-
INDORE LS CONSTITUENCY: Anticipating 43 PG courses offered by
DAVV will be up for grabs
during counselling.
pointed and frustrated
the committed voters of
Congress, who preferred
vote percentage is the po-
litical developments be-
fore and during the
BJP win, scores give polling booths a miss to abstain from voting. process of Lok Sabha
OUR STAFF REPORTER prit was being the unconventional option of Less enthusiasm in This resulted in a sharp
decline in the polling per-
election whereby many
Congress leaders quit
city.indore@fpj.co.in NOTA (None of the Above) against the BJP
which haven’t tasted defeat in Indore in the Muslim-dominated areas centage of the district in
the ongoing Lok Sahba
their party and joined the
BJP in bulk. Though they
Precisely as it was expected, the enthusiasm past 35 years. While the BJP had reposed its INDORE: The Muslim com- Election’, said a former changed their faith easily,
among voters was missing in Indore as Lok faith on incumbent MP Shankar Lalwani, munity, the palpable core IAS officer, who was post- their supporters did not.
Sabha election in this constituency got one- Congress had called for pressing NOTA voters of the Congress par- ed as collector and dis- Moreover, they did not
sided with Congress candidate Akshay Kan- button on EVMs as its candidate, Bam, had ty, appeared to be less en- trict returning officer of have any alternate Con-
ti Bam pulling out of the poll battle at the withdrawn from the contest. With the BJP thusiastic in this election the district for a long gress candidate to vote
eleventh hour, making way for BJP’s big vic- candidate looking strong due to lack of due to the absence of a can- time. He was talking to for. This situation gener-
tory here. Taking advantage of cloudy competition, many voters believing to have didate from the grand old this correspondent on the ated frustration and dis-
weather, the voters lined up at polling booths known the outcome of the polls did not party fighting against the condition of not quoting appointment among
early to exercise their franchise. Among the turn up at booths, resulting in a significant BJP, paving a victorious his name. them. This resulted in
first ones reaching polling stations were decline in voting percentage. Muslim vot- way for its candidate. The He was asked to explain many of them avoiding to
mostly women, who wanted to cast their bal- ers, which are believed to be Congress’ vote Congress candidate, Ak- the possible reasons for cast their vote. On the
lots before beginning their daily chores. bank, also seemed disinterested in exercis- shay Kanti Bam, switched the sharp drop in the vot- other hand, the voters of
Senior citizens and first-time voters were ing their franchise as most polling stations sides and defected to the ing percentage, despite BJP were confident of
mostly seen excited about voting. The lack in Muslim pockets wore a deserted look. ruling party a few weeks Indore being the highest victory for their candi-
of enthusiasm among middle-aged voters Few booths where short queues were seen before the election, leaving literate district of the date. Thus many of them
was palpable as tens of thousands of them were conspicuous by Muslim women vot- no candidate for the Con- State. As per the prelimi- refrained from voting,’ he
chose to give a miss to voting. The main cul- ers’ absence. gress. nary figures, the district added.
First time voters show significant interest in Indore
Priyanshi has for nation echoing loud but now I got ture and today
Sharma - As a can be expressed and clear in the this opportuni- I got that pow-
citizen of a dem- by casting vote halls of democ- ty. The experi- er. It gave me a
ocratic country and fulfilling the racy as I cast my ence was excit- sense of pride.
it is my responsi- duty one has. vote for the very ing and I loved
bility to vote and For me Nation first time. to have this Akshat Shri-
choose the gov- first, voting power as a citi- vastava: To-
ernment of my must. zen. day was my
choice. Sakshi first vote and
Vaishnavi Yadav: Today, my Harsh Saxena: Chavhan: My Yash Rajput: from now I promised myself that
dream of voting With a mix of vote was cast Exiting the I will always make it. It is a re-
has been ful- nervousness, I considering the booth, I could- sponsibility and every one
filled. I pledge to stepped into the future of the n't contain my should fulfil it.
participate in all polling booth, nation. A sense excitement. I
upcoming elec- ready to cast my of emotions felt a rush of
tions. Voting is first vote. A like pride and pride knowing
not just a right; sense of empow- excitement that I had con-
it’s our ultimate erment washed over me, as I rolled over tributed to
duty. Democracy marked my choices on the ballot. when I pressed shaping the fu-
empowers us with this greatest the button. ture of my country.
gift—the power to shape our na- Aditi Devliya: I was feeling em-
tion’s destiny. powered to realise that my voice, Kanishka Darwai: When I Rhythm Mourya: The vote has a
Himani Chavhan: The love one once just a whisper, was now turned 17, I was eager to cast vote power to make a decision for fu-
 INDORE CITY

INDORE SEES DECLINE BY 7.57% VOTES

INDORE | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024

OUR SPECIAL
CORRESPONDENT
9.6 LAKH VOTERS ABSTAIN FROM VOTING
city.indore@fpj.co.in SANWER RECORDS HIGHEST POLLING
The voting for electing the FOLLOWED BY DEPALPUR
18th Member of Parlia-
ment from the district was ASSEMBLY CONSTITUENCY INDORE-5 REGISTERS
conducted peacefully LOWEST VOTING FOLLOWED BY INDORE-3
and in a transparent man-
ner on Monday. However, ELECTION REMAINS PEACEFUL DESPITE HIGH
the apathy of the voters to-
wards casting their vote TEMPERATURE DURING NOON TIME
emerged as a major set-
back for the district and
the city, which is consid- ASSEMBLY SEAT MALE FEMALE VOTERS
ered the highest literate
city of the State.
As per the figures of the DEPALPUR 71.14% 59.13% 65.18%
district administration, in
comparison to the last Lok

A
INDORE 1 63.91% 58.00% 61.01%
Sabha election in 2019
(69.32%), this time voting 70 VISUALLY IMPAIRED GIRLS CAST VOTE
percentage dropped INDORE 2 61.59% 57.08% 59.36%
t the Mahesh Blind Welfare Association, 70 visually impaired girls their commitment to civic
CONG PUSH FOR
sharply by 7.57% to
61.75%.
NOTA ABSENT ON participation by actively engaging in the voting process. These resilient individuals were
collectively transported by bus to the polling station at Green Field School, situated near
INDORE 3 62.31% 54.30% 58.32%
In all 9,66,510 voters ab-
Bombay Hospital on Ring Road. There, they exercised their right to vote, presenting an inspiring
GROUND
stained from voting as Indore: Congress which was
only 15605293 of the
INDORE 4 67.68% 60.77% 64.22% urging the people to vote for example of both their vitality and unwavering faith in democracy.
2526803 voters exercised NOTA in the run-up to the Lok
their franchise . INDORE 5 60.67% 54.83% 57.77% Sabha polls seemed to lack any
The highest turn-out intent to actually push people
was registered in Sanwer to do so on the D-Day. Except
at 67.08% and the lowest in
RAU 65.72% 59.12% 62.45% for tables at two or three
Assembly constituency In- places, the party did not even
dore-5 at merely 57.77%. SANWER 73.14% 60.87% 67.08% bother to put up tables near
Mhow Tehsil of the dis- polling booths. Political parties
trict comes are allowed to put up their
under Dhar Parliamentary
TOTAL 65.46% 57.97% 61.75% tables at a minimum distance of
constituency, 100 meters from the polling
thus it’s polling percent- polling stations in the dis- elderly or disabled and tered the highest voting of booths. At most of the booths, tion, she walked from her home to the
Congressmen were inactive
Democratic morning for
age is not included in the trict. Immediately after also first-time voters were 67.08%, followed by De- polling booth and cast her vote enthusias-
polling percentage of the this, voting started at 7 am. seen exercising their fran- palpur at 65.18% and In- and no campaign was run by Indore tically. Durga proudly shared that she had

People's lack of interest comes to fore

district.
A mock poll was conduct-
ed at the scheduled time in
the morning at all 2,677
Men and women were seen
in equal numbers in sepa-
rate queues and voters of
all age groups, whether
chise.
As per the data, polling
ended at 7 pm Sanwer as-
sembly constituency regis-
dore-4 at 64.22%. The lag- them in favour of NOTA. The At the crack of dawn, mock polls were participated in previous elections as well,
gards were Indore-5 excitement among the voters conducted at all 2,677 polling booths across including the Municipal Corporation and
(57.77%), Indore-3 (58.32%) of Congress and its supporters the district, ensuring that the voting Assembly elections. Continuing this
and Indore-2 (59.36). seemed to be low. process remained smooth and efficient. trend, she voted in the Lok Sabha election
Voting commenced promptly at 7:00 am, on the same day. Her resolve remains
with eager voters forming queues outside strong, as she has vowed to participate in
polling stations even before sunrise. Both all upcoming elections.
men and women participated actively,
standing in separate queues, demonstrat-

U
ing equal enthusiasm for exercising their
Voters ki “SEVA MEIN”
INDORE-1 : Kailash's new democratic right. Citizens of all age Polling stations across various locations
protege, Shukla plays out groups, including the elderly and disabled, ensured that voters were fully-refreshed.
nlike their neighbours in made their way to the polling booths to Cold water and buttermilk were thought-
Depalpur, voters of Indore-1 cast their votes. Notably, this election saw fully provided at the Joshi Guradia polling
assembly seat were not very the active participation of youth who had station in Mhow. But the offerings didn’t
forthcoming to vote. It began with been included in the voter list for the first stop there! At many other polling stations,
a handful of voters reaching time. voters enjoyed a variety of delightful bev-
polling stations sending ripples to erages, including Aamras (mango pulp),
BJP leaders in Indore. It was then Rasna (fruit-flavoured drink), Keri Pana
Sanjay Shukla, who had crossed (raw mango drink), Sharbat (sweet syrup),
A happy democratic
over to BJP from Congress and be- anniversary and even freshly squeezed sugarcane
came another lieutenant of juice. For the convenience of those voters
Kailash Vijayvargiya, who swung Early morning at the Indore Public who had difficulty in travelling to the
into action and brought out voters School (IPS) polling booth on AB Road, In- polling station, they were provided the fa-
ALL PIX BY PINTU NAMDEV AND ANAND SHIVRE

E
from their homes and conveyed dore, a heartwarming scene unfolded. An cility of e-rickshaws and other vehicles.

U
them to polling stations. trasting with the assembly elec- elderly couple, Radheshyam Sohni and his

A
INDORE-2: TEPID
RESPONSE BY VOTERS
ssembly constituency In-
dore -2 experienced a slug-
gish beginning and end,
with less participation by young
voters in comparison to the elderly
who participated with enthusias-
tic energy. In the morning polling
INDORE-4: VOTERS JOSH
REMAINS LOW
nlike state assembly elec-
tions, the voters josh was
low throughout the day dur-
ing polling in Lok Sabha elections.
Voting remained peaceful in In-
dore-4 constituency except for a
case of MLA Malini Gaud catch-
ing a polling officer allegedly ask-
tion when long queues of people
waiting their turn were common.
The constituency experienced
peaceful voting but recorded the
lowest voting percentage in Indore
parliamentary constituency until
5 pm. Additionally, more than 80pc
of shops were open in Khajrana
area, indicating people s disinter-
est in the Lok Sabha elections.
RAU: SENIORS THRONG
nthusiasm among voters in
this semi-rural constituency
was high in the morning but
it began to decrease in the after-
noon. Senior citizens were more
excited than young voters. Howev-
er, long queues of voters were
missing at most of the polling
booths and there was a time in af-
wife, Gayatri Sohni, accompanied by their
son, daughter-in-law, and daughter, ar-
rived to cast their votes. But this was no
ordinary day—it was their 49th wedding
anniversary. As the family stood together,
they not only celebrated their enduring
love but also embraced their civic duty.
Vote equals a right
Casting vote amidst
wedding procession
The date of a wedding procession coin-
cided with the democratic process at
Adarsh polling station number 117 in
Chander village, Depalpur assembly con-
stituency. As two grooms arrived at the
polling station, dressed in their wedding

booths saw fewer people, while old-
er citizens turned out in greater
numbers by noon and by the
evening many booths were seen
deserted. Unlike the assembly elec-
T
ing people to vote for NOTA. Peo- ternoon when booths went empty. Despite her disability, Durga Bairagi re- finery, onlookers were taken aback. The
ple were casting their votes as Voters also faced trouble in finding mained unwavering in her commitment to festive atmosphere of a wedding proces-
their duty and responsibility to- their booths due to multiple booths democracy. Her physical challenges did sion merged with the serious business of
SANWER: HIGHEST VOTING
wards the country. However, many here was greater enthusi- at a centre in Vaishali Nagar. Sen- not hinder her civic duty. With determina- voting.
people reached polling stations asm among voters in rural ior citizens got direct access as

A
tions, the people were less inter- early with the start of voting but it areas of Sanwer Lok Sabha there was no queue for them.
ested in voting and making a didn t take time for them to cast constituency compared to urban
choice. their vote throughout the day as areas. People in rural areas Depalpur : Large numbers

I
there were no significant long seemed to be more actively partic- fter Sanwer, voters in De-
queues at the booths. ipating in the electoral process in palpur were more excited
the early hours of the day, as most than other parts of Indore
INDORE-3 : POOR VOTING

n Indore-3 Assembly con-
stituency there was quite less
footfall compared to other con-
stituencies. In the morning,
polling booths were filled with vot-
ers, by noon there were few and by
evening many of the booths wore a
deserted look. The percentage of
voters remained less the whole day.
T
INDORE-5 : Lack of
interest
here appears to be a lack of
interest among electors in
voting in the state's largest
assembly constituency, Indore-5
(by the number of electors). Sev-
eral booths were observed to be
empty or without queues, con-
of them belong to the farming sec-
tor or used to commute to Indore
and Ujjain for wages on a daily ba-
sis. Sanwer recorded the highest
voting percentage in Indore par-
liamentary constituency till 6 pm
with more than 67pc polling
recorded as per district adminis-
tration report that was published
at 7 pm.
Lok Sabha constituency as they
thronged polling booths in large
numbers to exercise their fran-
chise. The moment of voting large-
ly remained managed at Depalpur
which is considered as a rural as-
sembly seat. The voting percent-
age was 14.38 by 9 am which ended
at 65.18 per cent against Indore's
total of 61.75 per cent.

Apart from few stray incidents, polls by and large peaceful

1. BJP MLA Malini Laxman Singh reached a
polling booth at Ramakrishna Bagh on Dhar
Road area and accused a woman officer of
asking voters to press the ‘NOTA’ button.
Along with reprimanding her, she also called
the sector officer and appealed to replace
the women officer with immediate effect.
The women officer was giving clarification
and calling it a misunderstanding.
2. In another incident, the police had to pacify
workers of the Congress and the BJP after
they allegedly clashed over the NOTA
option outside a polling booth in Nanda
Nagar. The clash erupted between Congress
leader Babbu Yadav and IMC Speaker’s
nephew Ankit Yadav.
3. Election officers had inked index finger on
both hands of many voters at the Global
School in Sudama Nagar. Many people were
seen complaining about the same but the
election officers failed to give any reply of
the mistake. Later, they called it a confusion
as the reason for the mistake.
4. People expressed ire for not being allowed
to take mobile phones inside the booth due
to which they had to hand over the phone
to unknown people or they had to find
places to keep their phones. Voters also
created ruckus at the booth in Scheme 114.
5. Voters expressed their displeasure on being
asked to show IDs and voter slips multiple
times at a polling booth in Prakash Nagar.
Many voters lodged their complaint against
the same and a BJP corporator too
questioned police for checking IDs.

3K early voters enjoy free poha-jalebi at Chappan Dukan

We have offered free break-

5 quintals
of poha
consumed
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.indore@fpj.co.in
More than 3,000 early vot-
ers on Monday were treat-
ed to free 'poha-jalebi' by
shopkeepers of the city's
renowned food street
'Chappan Dukan' as part of
efforts to increase voting.
"Around 3,000 persons
who voted between 7 am
and 9:30 am were given free
poha and jalebi at five es-
tablishments. Such was
the crowd that we needed
five quintals of poha to
feed all of them," said Gun-
jan Sharma, president of
the traders' association
Chappan Dukan.
Senior citizens and youth
who voted for the first time
were given free ice cream
along with poha and jalebi,
Sharma added.
A long queue of voters
was seen getting breakfast
at the shops at the market.
A shop owner at 56
Dukan, Shyamlal Sharma
said, "Indore has always
stood out, and we will
stand out in voting as well.
fast to people so that they
come out early and vote.
This free service was avail-
able from 7-9 AM to all vot-
ers. We offered Indore's
favourite breakfast: poha
and jalebi."
He further said that this
initiative was aimed to
raise awareness among the
voters and encourage them
to exercise their franchise.
"Our motive was to raise
awareness among voters
and encourage them to
cast votes. We offered free
breakfast last time as well
in state assembly poll and
fed around 5,000-6,000 peo-
ple. This time, we were
hoping to serve around
11,000-12,000 people but
only 3,000 people were fed,"
he added.

UJJAIN CITY INDORE | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024
73.69% polling in Ujjain
CM along with his family vote in booth
number 60 at Sindhi Alkhadham Dharamshala
FP NEWS SERVICE
Ujjain
More than 73.69 per cent
voter turnout was record-
ed in Ujjain parliamentary
constituency on Monday. A
total of 2,097 polling sta-
tions were set up in the
constituency, in which
more than 10,000 employ-
ees conducted the voting
peacefully and smooth-
ly. 342 micro observers also
kept a close watch on criti-
cal polling stations. The
traditional enthusiasm for
the Lok Sabha elections
was not visible. At many
polling stations, polling
teams were seen waiting
for voters. There were
queues outside the centres
at many places in the city.
Chief Minister Mohan
Yadav along with his fami-
ly voted in booth number
60, Narumal Gagandas,
Sindhi Alkhadham
Dharamshala, Freeganj.
Disabled Dhanush Vyas,
who came to vote at a mod-
el polling station at 103
Sethi Nagar, said that very
good arrangements
have been made for dis-
abled people at the polling
station. He came to the
polling centre on a tricycle,
after which he was taken
in a wheelchair by the em-
ployees present at the cen-
tre to vote. 100-year-old
Shyama, a resident of Ba-
hadurganj, went to polling
station at 78, Bhati Rajput
Dharamshala, Lakkadganj
and cast her vote. Shyama
Bai herself walked to the
polling station and voted.
The youth, women, elderly
and disabled people enthu-
siastically exercised their
franchise.
Divisional commissioner
Sanjay Gupta, collector
Neeraj Kumar Singh and
SP Pradeep Sharma
reached Agriculture Of-
fice, Kothi Road polling
station number 204 and ex-
ercised their franchise.
Zila panchayat CEO Mri-
nal Meena, UMC commis-
MTMC
SERVES
PRASAD
T he Mahakaleshwar
Temple
Management
Committee (MTMC)
has been
operating free food
premises since 2004.
This arrangement
has been made to
provide free meals
(Prasad) to the
devotees who came
to visit
Mahankaleshwar
Temple. On
Monday, the
arrangements for
food distribution
were made after
showing the voting
marks.
Administrator Mrinal
Meena stated that
arrangements for
free meals (prasad)
have been made for
voters at
Annakshetra.
BJP CORPORATOR GEHLOT CREATES RUCKUS AT BOOTH
C
ontroversy related to BJP corporator Hemant Gehlot came to the fore again during the Lok Sabha elections.
In a polling booth in Piplinaka area, he created a ruckus over the seating area of a BLO and misbehaved with
her. After this dispute, the police pushed the corporator out of the polling station. Gehlot was repeatedly vis-
iting polling station 12 of Piplinaka area. The female BLO deployed by the election office at the polling station took
the objection and informed it to other senior officials. As soon as he came to know about this, Gehlot reached there
and took objection to the female BLO sitting at the door of the polling booth. Along with this, the corporator also
started abusing the female BLO. He wanted the female BLO to sit outside the polling station whereas the female BLO
said that she was sitting at her designated place. When the corporator’s voice started becoming harsher, the police
officers pushed him out of the polling booth and said if you want to talk about the rules, then complain to the district
election officer. During the Assembly elections of 2023, Gehlot had also created a ruckus at the polling booth in Pi-
plinaka area. Even then, the officials had thrown Gehlot out of the polling station by warning him of action.
Dhar-Mhow sees 71.50% polling Anurag scores 96.2% in Science Dewas records 74.86% voter turnout
Dhar/Mhow: Despite inter-
mittent rain, the voting
process proceeded orderly in
the Dhar-Mhow parliamentary
constituency and concluded
peacefully at 6 pm on Monday.
Seven candidates are con-
testing for the seat, with the
primary contest expected be-
tween Savitri Thakur of the
BJP and Radheshyam Muvel
of the Congress. The con-
stituency recorded a voter
turnout of 71.50%, with the
highest turnout of 73.19% in
the Dharampur assembly
A physically challenged person casts his vote
sioner Ashish Pathak and
other officials also voted.
AUTHORITIES
ON TOES
Better arrangements
were made for the facilities
of voters at 1844 polling sta-
tions in the district. the col-
lector and SP reached the
polling centres in the
morning and took stock of
the arrangements. They
visited Ujjain North, Ujjain
South, Ghatiya assembly
constituencies and inspect-
ed the polling stations
closely and directed the of-
ficials to conduct free, fair
and peaceful voting.
CONDUCIVE AMBIENCE
In many polling sta-
tions, voters coming to the
polling station were wel-
comed with drums. Voters
were welcomed at polling
stations by applying tilak
and at some places by gar-
landing them with flow-
ers. Many polling sta-
tions were decorated with
flowers, rangoli, paintings
and arches. Welcome
gates were made to wel-
come the voters. In view of
the heat, carpets were also
spread along with tents in
many places. Chairs were
LADY PRESIDING OFFICER REMOVED
A
t around 8 am, the presiding officer (PO) of booth number 37 found it costly to
say ‘Modi-Modi’ to the people standing in the voting line. Congress leader Chandrab-
han Singh Chandel said that PO Aarti was chanting ‘Modi-Modi’ in front of the
people standing in the queue. A Congress worker was also in the same line, who lodged an
objection to raising slogans in favour of a particular party and informed the party officials
about it. On receiving the information, Chandel himself reached the booth along with the
candidate and lodged a protest with the PO on which she apologised, but the Congress lead-
ers including the candidate Mahesh Parmar, City Congress Committee president Mukesh
Bhati and ex-corporator Rajendra Vasishtha also staged a dharna demanding action against
the woman officer. Videos of the woman PO apologising and Congress leaders
protesting also went viral on social media platforms. Later, the presiding officer was re-
moved from the duty. But, Vasishtha demanded that essential disciplinary action should be
taken against such PO who was involved in malpractices.
constituency, followed by
Manawar with 70.80%.Voters
displayed eagerness to exer-
cise their franchise, with
queues forming as early as
7:45 am.
To ensure smooth conduct,
1,155 election personnel and
security personnel are over-
seeing the process. Special
provisions, including wheel-
chairs at polling stations and
a doctor with a medical team
stationed at every sector offi-
cer, were made for the con-
venience of voters.
A female voter shows ink of
her right hand figure after
casting her vote in urban area
in Ujjain on Monday FP PHOTO
also arranged for the voters
to sit and cold water was
also arranged for drinking.
4,000 SECURITY
PERSONNEL DEPLOYED
As many as 2,088 polling
teams were deployed at a
total of 1,844 polling sta-
tions in the seven assembly
constituencies of the dis-
trict, out of which
voting was conducted by
men and women at 456
polling stations and only by
women at 347 polling sta-
tions. More than 4,000 secu-
rity personnel were put on
duty to ensure peaceful vot-
ing in the district. These in-
MHOW/DEWAS NEWS
FP NEWS SERVICE
Mhow
Anurag Patel, a stu-
dent of Colonel’s Acad-
emy, scored 96.2%
marks in Science and
Anushka Chaturvedi,
a student of St Mary’s
Higher Secondary
School, scored 95.8%
marks in Commerce in
the results of the CBSE
12th examination, de-
clared on Monday.
In Arts, Prachi, a stu-
Youth drowns in Kshipra
Ujjain: A youth, who went to celebrate with his friends and contractors, died of drowning at Bhukhi Mata Ghat of the Kshipra. The victim, Lucky son
of Radheshyam Jatwa, a resident of Akshay Nagar, Nanakheda, was a mason. Contractors and friends organised a party at the Bhukhi Mata Ghat, where
Lucky also participated. He was bathing in the river when he accidentally went into deep water. Lucky’s father, Radheshyam, said that contractor Gopal,
friend Dinesh and others took Lucky’s body to the District Hospital and did not provide accurate information about the incident.
VILLAGERS
RESCIND
BOYCOTT CALL
A
midst peaceful
voting, there was
information of
boycott of voting in
Guradiya Gurjar village of
Ghatiya assembly segment.
The villagers initially
boycotted voting in protest
against the problem of
irrigation and drinking
water not being resolved.
Till 11 am not even a single
vote was cast. Officials said
that some votes were
cast at the beginning of the
voting, but later the
villagers boycotted it. Sub-
divisional officers and
sector officers were
seen convincing the peeved
electorates, but
they couldn’t pacify them.
However, when collector
Singh and SP Sharma
rushed there they finally
agreed to cast their votes
at around 4 pm.
cluded 300 CAPF
personnel, 450 SAF person-
nel, 1,221 Home Guard per-
sonnel, 1,175 head consta-
bles and constables, 236 as-
sistant police inspectors
and other police
officers were deployed for
security arrangements.
1,844 government employ-
ees were also made special
police officers.
ANURAG ANUSHKA
dent of Army Public
School, topped the city
by scoring 96.8%
marks. Harshita Pati-
dar and Utkarsh Ti-
wari, students of
Colonel’s Academy,
UJJAIN WEATHER
MAXIMUM: 31.5°C, MINIMUM: 23.8°C
HUMIDITY
MORNING: 87per cent, EVENING: 62 per cent
SUNRISE: 6.00 am , SUNSET: 7.04 pm
Minor, brother UNREST IN BJP CIRCLES
held for theft AFTER LOW VOTER TURNOUT
in factory
FP NEWS SERVICE
NIRUKT BHARGAVA
Ujjain
these voters, 7,04,895
(77.70%) male and
Parmar, witnessed
76.78% polling against
Ujjain
The police arrested two brothers
General Elections-2024
in Ujjain-Alot (SC re-
6,20,525 (69.61%) female
voters exercised their
franchise. In 2019 elec-
that of 78.74% polling in
2019.
segment
Badnagar
registered
and recovered the stolen goods serve) parliamentary tions, there were 75.59% polling against
from them in the case of theft in the constituency will 16,61,229 voters in the the previous polling of
factory located at Agar Road Udyo- brighten whose constituency and 75.40% 78.61%. Alot assembly
gpuri, shop and office located in fortunes could be of them (12,52,511) par- recorded 75.98%
Chimanganj Mandi. known only on June 4 ticipated in the voting. polling whereas 79.23%
Police said that last month, un- when the counting of Out of the eight as- polling was recorded in
known miscreants had committed votes will be conducted, sembly segments which 2019.
theft in the metal factory located on but Monday’s polling fall under this parlia- Barring Tarana and
Agar Road, Udyogpuri. In this case, statistics have raised mentary constituency, Mahidpur assembly
factory owner Atmasingh resident concerns in the BJP cir- highest 77.73% polling constituencies of the Uj-
of Karthik Chowk lodged a report cles. Not only the was recorded in jain-Alot parliamentary
at the police station and told the po- polling percentage re- Ghatiya (SC constituency, rest
lice that unknown miscreants had mained more than reserve) while Ujjain six segments are repre-
stolen brass utensils, and CCTV- 1.70% less this time vis- South registered lowest sented by the BJP
DVR from the factory. Similarly, on à-vis 2019 elections, turnout of 67.18%. In MLAs.
the night of May 6, unknown mis- but the female turnout 2019 elections, 79.49% In 2023 assembly elec-
creants entered the office of Da- as compared to male and 67.92% of polling tions, Congress MLAs
yaram Kukreja in Chimanganj turnout also remained were recorded in these could emerge victori-
Mandi and stole Rs 26,000 from the at 8% less. Ironically, Uj- two segments, respec- ous by thin margins in
cupboard. A report of theft of jain South assembly tively. The Ujjain North both these
three cooler motors from Fakrud- segment, which is rep- assembly segments whereas the
din’s shop was also registered in resented by the CM Mo- segment, which purely margin of BJP MLAs
the police station. han Yadav, witnessed comprises urban voters, started from 13,000 to
After getting information from lowest turnout among registered 68.23% 70,000 votes. Though
the informer, the police the rest seven assembly polling which was the BJP managers were
arrested Rajiv son of segments of the con- 67.63% previously. claiming that their vic-
Neebsingh Sisodia resident of vil- stituency. Mahidpur constituency tory is sure this time as
lage Lakhahera and his minor As per the updated fig- recorded 76.26% well, the observers
brother and after interrogation, ut ures, which were issued polling whereas it regis- firmly believe that the
ensils stolen from the metal facto- by the district election tered 78.10% polling in victory margin of
ry and money stolen from the busi- office late in the night, the last general elec- around 3.50 lakh
nessman’s firm were found. After out of 17,98,704 voters, tions. Likewise, votes which the incum-
presenting both the thieves in 73.69% (13,25,454) elec- the Tarana (SC reserve) bent MP and BJP candi-
court, Neebsingh was sent to jail torates reached the segment, which is rep- date Anil Firojiya got
while the minor was sent to a Ju- polling stations to vote resented by the Con- in 2019 elections may
venile Home. through the EVMs. Of gress candidate Mahesh witness a big downfall.
CM Yadav slams Kejriwal
FP NEWS SERVICE
Ujjain
Chief Minister Mohan Ya-
dav has hit back at Delhi
Chief Minister Arvind Ke-
jriwal, who is out of jail on
bail, saying that instead of
predicting the fortunes of
the BJP he should think
about his future. Interact-
ing with the media persons
at the Dussehra Maidan lo-
cated house of ailing BJP
leader Roop Pamnani, he
said Kejriwal does not
know his future and is
making predictions about
BJP. Let them do their
work, he said.
Kejriwal has claimed
that even if BJP wins the
2024 Lok Sabha elections,
Modi will remain the
Prime Minister only
till September 2025 as he
will attain 75 years of age. CM Mohan Yadav leaves after casting his vote in Ujjain on Monday FP PHOTO
Kejriwal had said that PM
Modi himself has made BJP wins the elections this Prime Minister. He had would also be
this rule that no one in his
party will remain in active
politics after 75 years. If
time, PM Modi will turn 75
next year and then
will make Amit Shah the
also said that Uttar
Pradesh Chief Minister
Yogi Adityanath
replaced within two
months after the general
elections.
Amidst technical
glitches & weather 74.5% turnout in Mandsaur-Neemuch
challenges, Ratlam MANDSAUR/NEEMUCH: Voting
in the Mandsaur-Neemuch Lok
sees 72.86% voting Sabha seat witnessed an encourag-
ing turnout of 74.5 per cent, with
Ratlam/Jhabua: Polling in the Ratlam-
Jhabua-Alirajpur Lok Sabha seat record-
officials attributing the increased
participation to extensive voter
ed a remarkable turnout of 72.86 per awareness efforts. Women voters,
cent by 6 pm, despite encountering vari- in particular, enthusiastically ex-
ous challenges. ercised their franchise, with many
The day was marked by unexpected capturing the moment by taking
weather conditions, including rain and selfies outside polling booths.
hail in Ratlam. Technical glitches in The polling process commenced at
three EVM machines disrupted voting 7 am and continued until 6 pm, with
for around half an hour. long queues forming at various
Congress candidate Kantilal Bhuria, polling stations across the con- Neemuch collector and district election
along with his family, cast his vote at stituency since the early hours of officer Dinesh Jain, along with SP Ankit
polling station number 93 in voting. The substantial voter Jaiswal, fulfill their civic duty by casting
Jhabua. However, the voting process turnout reflects the electorate's keen their votes in Neemuch
faced interruptions, with one incident of interest in the democratic process
EVM malfunction in Ward 9 of Ratlam and their determination to have petition from Dilip Singh Gurjar of
City leading to a 30-minute delay. BJP their voices heard. The BJP has field- Congress, making it a closely contest-
leaders expressed their concerns and de- ed Sudhir Gupta, a three-time MP, as ed battle between the two major polit-
manded prompt action, leading to the its candidate in the Mandsaur parlia- ical parties. Additionally, six other
eventual resumption of voting after the mentary seat. Gupta faces stiff com- candidates are also in the fray.
arrival of an engineer's team.
Similarly, another EVM malfunction in
booth number 218 in Ward 44, halted vot-
ing for 30 minutes. Despite these chal-
Software engineer arrives from
lenges, voting continued till the sched-
uled end at 6 pm.
Dubai to exercise franchise
MANDLESHWAR: Soumya Mahesh Sharma, a software engineer working in
The day also saw a poignant incident
Dubai, reached here to cast her vote on Monday. Whereas, 100-year-old Haji Ismail
where a young man, who had reached
Abdul Karim reached the polling booth to exercise his franchise. Moreover, MLA
home after voting, tragically passed
Rajkumar Mev, former MLA Dr Vijayalaxmi Sadho
away due to a heart attack, underscoring
the significance and emotional intensity
and municipal council president Vishwadeep PANCHANG 14.5.2024
Moyde also reached the polling booth to cast vote.
of the democratic process. (UTTARAYAN)
Saka 1946 Samvat 2081
Month : Vaishakh Shukla 7 Tuesday 4.20 A.M.
Nakshatra: Pusay 1.05 P.M. then Aslesa
Yoga :Gand 7.25 A.M. then Vriddhi
Karan :Garaj 3.30 P.M. then Visti
Moon :Kark - - - - - - - - -
3
2
JUP
1
SUN, VEN,
MARS, RAHU, NEP
12
11
SAT
FP NEWS SERVICE voting took place peacefully HER, MER
Dewas overall. However, heavy rain 10
4 PLU
and storms in the afternoon MOON
Dewas-Shajapur parliamen- caused several tents to col-
7
tary constituency recorded a lapse at many polling sta- 5 9
voter turnout of 74.86 per tions. The administration re- 6 8
KETU
cent on Monday. MP Mahen- sponded promptly and took
PRACHI dra Singh Solanki of BJP and care of the necessary
Rajendra Malviya of Con- arrangements. FREE PRESS CL ASSIFIED
stood joint second in gress were the two prominent Voting was held for the De- RUNNING CLASSIFIED
commerce subject by candidates for the seat. was-Shajapur parliamentary
securing 95.6% marks. Voting for the seat began at seat in Ashta, Agar, DISPLAY CLASSIFIED 7 DAY 500/-
15 DAY 1000/-
Nikhil Pandey, a stu- 7 am and ended at 6 pm. Shajapur, Shujalpur, Kalapi- 50/- SQ.CM. B/W. 30 DAY 1500/-
75/- SQ.CM.
dent of Army Public There was a high level of en- pal, Sonkatch, Dewas and (MINIMUM SIZE 1X3) DISPLAY CLASSIFIED
School, scored 94.2% thusiasm among the voters Hatpipalya assembly con- FREE PRESS CALL- 9425082195
marks in Commerce. throughout the day and the stituencies.
 MADHYA PRADESH INDORE | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024

CBSE Class 10 & 12 results out, girls outshine boys

CBSE class 10, 12
toppers celebrate
@Free Press
OUR STAFF REPORTER
Indore
The Central Board of Secondary Edu-
cation (CBSE) has given a green flag
to class 12 students to finalise their
admissions into college by declaring
the results. Further, class 10 students
also received their results required
for promotion to higher secondary.
The results doubled the
celebrations in the city as students
performed extremely well. Keeping
their winning streak, girls outshone
boys in class 10 and 12 results.
The CBSE did not declare a topper’s
list to avoid unnecessary competition
and stress.
Indore saw a stiff competition as
students competed for the top place
with a mere 0.6 per cent difference.
As there were too many successful
candidates that bagged excellent re-
sults, it was a tough task to determine
city toppers.
In class 10, Sudeeksha Tripathi
scored the highest of 99.20 percentile
in the city. Not far behind was Di-
vyank Bhattad with 99 percentile.
Further, Ananya Wadhwani, Khushi
Mishra and Anvesh Gami aced class
10 exams with 98.8 per cent.
In class 12, the top achievers in the
city were Ishan Shrivastava (97.8 per
cent). He was a humanities topper.
Samaksh Jain achieved 97.4 per cent
and was a commerce city topper.
Nupur Lakhotia bagged first place
in science (PCB) and second city top-
per position with 98.2 per cent.
Keshavi Lakhotia was the city top-
per and science (PCM) topper with
97.4 per cent.
Class 10 topper
secures 99.2%
“It is a delightful
day for me. I
always aim to do
my best, as it is the
only right way to
do it.”
Sudeeksha Tripathi
Cousins become city toppers
Nupur Lakhotia became the city
topper in biology stream (98.2 per
cent) and Kesavi Lakhotia in mathe-
matics (97.4 per cent). Nupur and Ke-
savi are cousins. Nupur wants to be-
come a psychologist, while Kesavi an
engineer. Nupur said, “Despite study-
ing together, we both compete to get
ahead of each-other.”
Along with studies, they also partic-
ipated enthusiastically in science
quizzes, debates and speech competi-
tions. Nupur said, “Apart from maths
and bio, we studied other subjects to-
gether.” Due to this, the chemistry of
our physics became stronger. Kesavi
said, “Now I want to do BTech in data
science from IIT. That is why I am
busy preparing for JEE advance.”
Commerce city
topper gets 97.4%
“I am trying to clear IPMAT and
CUET. My dream colleges are SRCC
and IIM Indore. I want to become a suc-
cessful CEO of a re-
puted company. It
will give me social
recognition and re-
spect in the society.
I want to do some-
thing on my own. I
was always clear
that I want to pur-
sue commerce. I
did not love studying science as a sub-
ject. My father (Amit) is a business-
man. My mother (Payal) is a homemak-
er. They have always supported me fi-
nancially and mentally. They have al-
ways been there for me. My advice to
other aspirants is: just keep your goal
in your mind and go with the flow.”
Samaksh Jain
Humanities
topper scores 97.8%
“I believe in following my passion
and that has been my mantra. I want
to study psycholo-
gy. I will be going
to Delhi Universi-
ty. I want to pre-
pare for civil serv-
ice exams. I will
follow my parents’
example. My fa-
ther (BS Shrivas-
tava) is a sub-divi-
sional magistrate and mother
(Seema) is an advocate.”
Ishan Shrivastava
Achievers celebrate
at Free Press
Free Press celebrated the success of
students of the city. Achievers of
CBSE class 10 and 12 were welcomed
at Free Press. In their interaction
with Free Press, the top scoring stu-
dents shared their experience, advice
and dreams.
Topper emphasises
on regular practice
“I want to become a doctor like my
parents (Dr Deepti and Dr Vivek Agni-
hotri). I have an elder brother
(Vinayak) in class 12. I have been scor-
ing over 90 marks. I love playing foot-
ball and tennis. I even got a gold medal
in karate. I studied 15 hours every day.
My suggestion to aspirants is to prac-
tise and solve questions regularly. I
studied with the help of YouTube and
cleared my concepts too.”
Vishesh Agnihotri, class 10, 97.8%
Stick to NCERT to score well
“I have taken PCB. I want to be a sur-
geon. It is interesting and makes a dif-
ference. It is a dynamic field. My
mother (pathologist Dr Roli) is a doc-
tor. A part of inspiration comes from
her. It involves us to learn and be
knowledgeable. It would be interest-
ing to go into work. My father (busi-
nessman Anuj) is a source of strength
for me. My suggestion to score well is
to stick to NCERT. Do not stress out.
Learn from your mistakes.”
Anubhuti Agrawal, class 10, 98.4%
Be consistent and regular
“I actually wanted to score 98 per
cent, but I am okay with it. I want to
become a doctor and
help people. Whenev-
er I find people in-
jured or suffering, it
breaks my heart. I
want to help them.
My father (teacher
Kamal) wanted to be-
come a doctor. I want
to take his dream ahead. My mother
(Sushila) is a homemaker. My sugges-
tion is to be consistent and regular. If
one wants to achieve 95 and above
then being regular is important.”
Neha Parmar, class 10, 95.5%
My mantra is consistency
“I want to become a neurosurgeon. I
remember a time when a relative
showed me a video
of neurosurgery. I
was fascinated.
Since then I have
chosen my goal. I
have read books
about the life of
neurosurgeons. It is
fascinating and
inspiring to me. My
father (Upendra) is a senior intelligence
officer in DRI. My mother (Kalpana) is a
teacher. My mantra is consistency.”
Kanishka Singh Yadav, class 10, 95.8%
Consistency important
than hard work
“I want to take my family business
Focus on sample
papers NDPS STUDENTS SHINE IN CLASS 12
“I practised the
previous year’s
questions. I focus on
sample papers. I set a
timer of
3 hours
and do
the
papers.
The
questions Ananya Mawane Tanishi Singhal Manav Khatwani
provided by teachers Class 12 students of New Digamber Public School marked
helped a lot.” excellent performance in the CBSE exams where, Ananya
Swasthik Rath,
Mawane of humanities stream secured first position with 96.8
class 10, 98%
per cent, while the second and third were secured by Tanishi
Singhal and Manav Khatwani, commerce students 96.2%
Brother-sister duo ace
class 12, 10 exams
Toppers of CBSE class 10 and 12 @Free Press office on Monday with 96.6% and 98.8% Choithram School performs well
to another height. “Working as a doctor is no forgiving job.
It is limited to In- There is no holiday for doctors. My parents
dore, but I want to (Radiologist Dr Vinod Wadhwani and
make it global. physiotherapist turned teacher Dr Priya
There is a quote Wadhwani) can never get a break. I like living
that I read: Consis- my life other than work. I would work on an
algorithm that would help investors in
tency is more im-
portant than hard investing money in the right stocks. I applied
work. That has to 7 colleges and got a cumulative scholarship
“I was expecting a bit
helped me achieve the marks. My of Rs 7.32 crore. I have chosen the University more. It is almost up to
teacher (Hitesh) motivated me when of Toronto. I want to express a special thanks mark. I want to do a AARAV MAHESHWARI GRANTH VIJAYVARGIA SUYASH SINGH
I was down.” to my teacher Nisha Ahmad and guide major in mathematics and
Karishma Bholanda, Siddharth Singh.” statistics. I want to work The class 12 students of Choithram School performed
class 12 commerce, 95.2% Divy Wadhwani, class 12 PCM in finance, specifically well in the CBSE results for the session. Aarav Mahesh-
quantitative finance. My wari secured 96.2 per cent, while the second and third
Want to become Hard work, dedication routes to success brother is doing the same. were secured by Granth Vijayvargia and Suyash Singh
“I am currently preparing for IPM. I intend He is my inspiration.”
e-commerce manager to get into management
with 96 per cent.
Ananya Wadhwani, Class 10
“My mother either in family business
(homemaker or an MNC. My father
Suman) is my all- (Ankur) is a businessman Pragya Girls School display academic prowess
time inspiration. and my inspiration. He The students of Pragya Girls
She is a manager has worked hard in life. I School have proudly unfurled
in perfection. am interested in the banner of success in both
She follows all business because of him. class 12 and 10. In class 12,
the principles of My mother (Supriya) is a Khushi Makwana topped the
management. I homemaker. I think hard work and school in humanities with an
want to become a manager in the e- dedication are routes to success.”
commerce field.” Geet Sethi, Class 10 commerce, 96.6 %
impressive 94.6 per cent,
while Mithisha Panchal
Sudiksha Yadav, class 12 AMISHA JOSHI KHUSHI MAKWANA MITISHA PANCHAL
excelled in commerce with
commerce, 92.2% Rifle shooter, avid reader 91.4 per cent and Amisha Joshi
“I am a national level rifle shooter, avid achieved the same score in
Want to score reader with interests in Science.
well to make a mark dance and music. I
scored a total of 96.6%
While in class 10, Tejas Varma
secured the top position in the
“I wanted to score well to make my mark. without attending any school with an outstanding
I wanted to give my best. I want to tuitions and being 95.5 per cent, followed by
become an aeronautical engineer. When I extremely active in SHATAKSHI RATHORE TEJAS VERMA TISHA SONGARE Shatakshi Rathore with 94 per
was young, I remember my father (regional extracurricular as well.” cent in second place and Tisha
sales manager Rohit) explaining to me how
aircrafts worked and I was inspired. It has
Kavyaa Turakhia, Songara in third place with 93 per cent. The school management, principal Rashi Shah
class 10, 96.6% and teachers extended their well wishes to all successful students.
stuck with me. I basically spend all my time
studying to score the marks.”
Nitya Sharma, class 10, 95%
How you do everything
is how you are
“I came across a quote: how you do
everything in life is how
you are in life. I was
inspired. I wanted to
give my best and be the
best. I am the oldest
among siblings and the
extended family. I
wanted to set a high
goal. I focused on
studies. I read a lot and did my enough to
relax. “
Vidushi Bisht, class 10, 97.8%
Pay attention in class
“I have been wondering what to do for 2
years. I am not sure yet. Honestly, I studied
only during preparation
leave. I prefer to revise
really well before
exams. What works
for me is paying
attention in class. I
would understand the
concept and then
revise really well. I have
always loved studying
and scored well. I did not go out to take a
break, but watched TV and browsed the
internet. I stayed in touch with my friends.
My parents (Snigdha and Shivendra) inspire
and support me. “
Jaiwardhan Singh, class 10, 98.6%
Inspired by Albert Einstein
“I just like studying. I have been scoring
well, so it is normal.
I did not study
dedicatedly for class
10. I focused on
science and
astronomy. I would
like to be in the
STEM field. My
mother (Madhuri) is
a homemaker. My
father (Ashish) is a software engineer. I
am inspired by Albert Einstein.”
Paarth Maheshwari, class 10, 98.4%

74.21% students of govt schools pass

OUR STAFF REPORTER
BHOPAL
The Central Board of Sec-
ondary Education (CBSE)
has announced the Class
12 and 10 board examina-
tions results on Monday.
82.46% of the students
from Madhya Pradesh who
wrote the Class 12 CBSE
examination have been de-
clared successful. In Class
12, the Madhya Pradesh
(Bhopal region) was 14
among 17 regions of the
CBSE in the country in
terms of pass percentage.
The passing percentage
of boys and girls are 80.40
and 84.76 respectively. The
girls students outshined
the boys. A total of 76930
students from the state (
Bhopal region) registered
for the Class 12 exam . Of
these,76545 students ap-
peared in the exam and
63120 passed the exam. The
passing percentage of Gov-
ernment 70. 11 whereas it
was 63.82 in 2024. Similarly
it was 97.53 in KVS in 2024
and last year it was 86.88.
Rajvi Sharma from DPS
topped with a score of 99%
in Bhopal in class 12 in
Humanities.
Moreover, the pass per-
centage of Class 10 was
95.58 in the state. And the
Bhopal region stood 15
among 17 regions of the
CBSE in the country in
terms of pass percentage.
The passing percentage of
boys and girls are 89.59 and
91.78 respectively. The girls
outshined the boys in class
10 too.
A total of 112514 students
from Bhopal region regis-
tered for the Class 10 exam
Of these, 112137 students
appeared in the exam and
46405 passed the exam.
The passing percentage
of Government 74. 21
whereas it was 74.19 in
2024. Similarly it was 98.25
in 2014 in KVS and last
year 96.00. Khushi Mah-
war topped Bhopal in
class 10.
 POLL MANIA Being wrestler, need rival
in the ring, says CM
Yadav on low turnout of voters in Indore
OUR STAFF REPORTER
Bhopal

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has said he is a wrestler, and

he can fight only if someone is there in the ring.
He made the statement in reply to a question put
up by journalists about low turnout of voters in
Indore on Monday.
He said, “The problem is that there is none
in the ring. The opponent has beaten a re-
treat.”
Despite this, there are reports that the
BJP will win this seat with the highest
margin, the Chief Minister said.
INDORE / BHOPAL | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024 Yadav has told the women leaders of

Both parties estimate chances

the BJP working in the party’s war
room that if they work so hard, the
Congress’s chances to win will be thin.
The BJP has set up different war
rooms for women members, Yadav said.
The women representatives and

of win after LS poll in all seats

members of the self-help group spoke
to the female voters to increase the vot-
ing percentage, he said, adding that
women members in the war room have
done their work.
The Congress leaders used abusive

BJP claims victory on all 29 seats; Congress hopes to win a few

words against women, the Chief Minister
said, adding that the party speaks about
election, but they do not work hard for it.
Yadav expressed happiness about peaceful
Lok Sabha election in all the four phases in
the state.
The election ended without any
hassle, he said.

Presiding officer in Ujjain

OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
The parliamentary election in
the state came to an end on
Monday with the polling in
eight constituencies in the Mal-
wa-Niwar region.
The state went to polls in four
phases – April 19, April 26, May
7 and May 13.
The election results will be de-
clared on June 4, but the politi-
cal parties have begun to esti-
mate the chances of their win.
The BJP and the Congress are
preparing reports on the basis
of feedback from their leaders.
The BJP has deployed private
organisations and taking feed-
back from them.
The ruling party is preparing
a report on the basis of infor-
mation they are getting from
different areas.
The party’s state unit will
send the report to the central
leadership.
BJP’s election in-charge in
the state Mahendra Singh and
assistant in-charge Satish
Upadhyay have also taken feed-
back, on the grounds of which
they will send reports to Delhi
on the basis.
Party’s state unit president VD
Sharma claimed the BJP would
get the highest vote share in the
history of state election in the
ongoing polls, and win all the 29
seats in the state.
The votes cast in the state
went in favour of the BJP, he
said.
removed during polling process
Presiding
officer
The Congress, too,
suspended
is taking feedback
from every corner.
in Dewas
The party leaders are On the complaint of
sending feedback on BJP, a presiding officer
tough fight in some con- of a polling booth in De-
stituencies. was was suspended on
On the basis of reports, the Monday for failure to
Congress hopes to win a few ensure identity verifica-
seats. The party expects tion of burqa clad Mus-
favourable outcome in Sidhi, lim women voters. In a
Chhindwara, Mandla, Satna, statement, the BJP said
Morena, Gwalior, Bhind, Khar- that the presiding offi-
gone and Rajgarh. cer ignored the repeated
According to the head of Con- pleas of the local party
gress’s media cell Mukesh workers to deploy a
Nayak, the party is hopeful of woman constable to car-
winning 12 seats. ry out face identifica-
Apart from these seats, the Chief Electoral Officer Anupam Rajan addressing media persons in tion of Muslim women
party is giving a tough fight to Bhopal on Monday voters who were wear-
the BJP in a few constituencies, ing burqa or hijab to
Nayak said. OUR STAFF REPORTER teracting with media per- check bogus voting.
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in sons in Bhopal on Monday However, the presiding
morning. Moreover, a officer ignored the re-

Aged leaders heave Lukewarm polling

In the wake
allegations that slogans
were raised inside the
of name of a political party
was found written near the
selfie point at polling
peated pleas and later
the BJP workers lodged
an official complaint

a sigh of relief after picks up post noon

polling station, presiding
officer Aarti deployed at
polling station number 37
booth number 45 in Mand-
saur. Notices have been is-
sued to sector officer Babi-
with the election com-
mission. Taking note of
their complaint, Chief

Shah’s statement OUR STAFF REPORTER

Four MLAs who have
turned 75 and those
who have crossed 70
are happy
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
Many leaders of the rul-
ing party in the state have
heaved a sigh of relief af-
ter Union Home Minister
Amit Shah’s statement on
age criteria.
Reacting to Delhi Chief
Minister Arvind Kejriw-
al’s remark on Prime Min-
ister Narendra Modi’s re-
tirement, Shah has said
there is no such provision
in the BJP’s constitution
that someone cannot hold
a post after attaining 75
years.
Shah even said Modi
would continue to lead
the nation even after 2029.
Those who are above 70
and contested the assem-
bly election are happy
with Shah’s statement.
In the past few years, the
BJP has retired many
leaders on the grounds of
their age.
Talks about criteria of
75 years began after the
party leadership sought
resignation of Babulal
Gaur and Sartaj Singh
from the cabinet on the
grounds of their age.
Both of them passed away.
Afterwards, former
Speaker of the Lok Sabha
Sumitra Mahajan and for-
mer minister Kusum
Mehdele were denied tick-
ets on the grounds of
their age.
Nevertheless, expecting
a tough fight in the assem-
bly election, the BJP gave
tickets to four leaders
who have attained 75
years.
Nagendra Singh Nagod,
Nagendra Singh Gurh,
Jayant Malaiya and Jagan-
nath Raghuwansi were
given tickets. All of them
have won the election.
Shah’s statement has ig-
nited hope of these lead-
ers to remain in politics
in the coming days.
Among the legislators
Sitasharan Sharma,
Bisahulal Singh, Gopal
Bhargava, Ajay Vishnoi
and Hajarilal Dangi have
crossed 70.
These leaders also hope
to remain relevant in pol-
itics. Similarly, the lead-
ers, like Gaurishankar
Bisen and Maya Singh,
who lost the assembly
election, are still opti-
mistic about getting tick-
ets in the next assembly
election.
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
The voting in eight Lok
Sabha constituencies - De-
was, Ujjain, Mandsaur,
Ratlam, Dhar, Indore,
Khargone and Khandwa -
started with a lukewarm
response but gained mo-
mentum later during the
day on Monday.
Till 9 am, the polling per-
centage of Dewas was 16.79
%, Ujjain was 16.80 %,
Mandsaur 16.61 %, Ratlam
13.73 %, Dhar 15.61 %, In-
dore 11.48 %, Khargone
15.35 % and Khandwa was
14.68 %.
At 3.32 pm, the voting
percentage of Dewas stood
at 63.08 %, Ujjain was 60.83
%, Mandsaur 61.58 %, Rat-
lam 62.78 %, Dhar 60.18 %,
Indore 48.04 %, Khargone
63.84 % and Khandwa 59.87
%. The overall voting per-
centage till 3.32 pm was
59.63 %.
As people started to make
a beeline by evening, vot-
ing percentage increased
substantially. By 5.32 pm,
the voting percentage of
Dewas stood at 71.53 %, Uj-
jain was 70.44 %, Mand-
saur 71.76 %, Ratlam 70.61
%, Dhar 67.55 %, Indore
56.53 %, Khargone 70.80 %
and Khandwa 68.21 %.
Diggi oversees strong room security
Guna: Former Madhya
Pradesh chief minister and
senior Congress leader,
Digvijaya Singh, on Mon-
day visited the EVM stong
room in Madhya Pradesh's
Guna amid the ongoing Lok
Sabha elections.
His wife Amrita Singh
and Guna Lok Sabha Con-
gress candidate Yadvendra
Singh Yadav also accompa-
nied him.
"In the past, counting typ-
ically followed three to four
days of voting, but nowa-
days it can take a month or
longer. This extended peri-
od is why I oversee the secu-
Vikram Agnihotri gets his toe marked with indelible ink at polling
booth in Indore on Monday
There were certain in-
spiring moments during
polling. For instance,
Khargone Additional SP
Tarunendra Singh Baghel
pushed the wheel chair of
an elderly lady and helped
her to reach polling booth
in Bistan. The photo of
Baghel pushing the wheel
chair has gone viral on so-
cial media.
In Indore, 70 blind youths
exercised their franchise at
Green Field School. Like-
wise, Divyang brand ambas-
sador Vikram Agnihotri
who lost both the arms, vot-
ed by getting ink applied on
nail of his left toe.
In Neemuch, 17 members
rity of the strong room,"
Digvijaya Singh said while
of a family reached polling
booth number 87 together
to cast ballot. Jambu Ku-
mar Jain led the family
members.
Several polling booths
were decorated with artifi-
cial flowers and other
items to welcome the vot-
ers. One such voting centre
was in Mangalia in Indore
district, which also spread
the message of Save Water
campaign.
A polling station man-
aged by women election of-
ficials in Sendhwa under
Khargone Lok Sabha con-
stituency welcomed the
voters with an impressive
welcome gate.
speaking to reporters.
Digvijaya took a dig at the
BJP's "Ab Ki Bar 400 par"
slogan, sarcastically sug-
gesting, "Aren't they aim-
ing for 547 seats?" Digvijaya
said. The veteran Congress
leader Digvijaya Singh,
who represented Rajgarh
in Parliament back in the
1980s and early 90s, is re-
turning to his home turf af-
ter three decades in 2024
Lok Sabha election, in what
he calls as his "last elec-
tion". He is contesting
against Rodmal Nagar of
the BJP in the 2024 elec-
tions. AGENCIES
set up at New National
Public School in Ujjain
was removed by sector offi-
cer on Monday morning.In
her place, Assistant Profes-
sor Dr Sneha Porwal was
made presiding officer at
8.10 am. Ujjain district col-
lector will probe the mat-
ter.
This was informed by
Chief Electoral Officer
Anupam Rajan while in-
DISTRICT NEWS
Conduct of administrative officials in
question over bulldozing of restaurant office damages
FP NEWS SERVICE
Dindori
Suspicion looms over the
recent action carried out
by the administrative offi-
cials in Dindori, who got a
restaurant and several pan,
as well as tea kiosks razed
in the town almost a week
ago. The Dindori district
administration officials al-
legedly overlooked the en-
croachments laid by the in-
fluential people and razed
down the ones owned by
the marginalised class,
sources say.
Sources highlighted that a
restaurant, named Pandey
Bhojnalay in the town, was
built over a land of 600
square feet, while the notice
had been issued to bulldoze
only the construction made
over 300 square feet of land,
on the area owned by the
restaurant operator, Ashok
Pandey. He had been served
a notice in April end, to va-
cate the restaurant within
three days. Pandey was told
ta Sonkar and sector police
officer Radheshyam Pra-
japati.
It is the duty of sector of-
ficer and sector police of-
ficer to move around and
check the things.
Collector is probing the
case and clarification is
being taken from them as
to how the slogan went
unnoticed.
In Dhar, development
Fire in SP
in the notice that the area
procured by him belonged
to the MP Regional Trans-
port office (RTO). However,
Pandey had just occupied
300 square feet of the space
unauthorisedly, while the
remaining 600 square feet
belonged to him.
Official sources said that
the administrative officials
also overlooked the illegal
construction done in the
Dindori Company chowk,
where a five-storey building
had been constructed long
ago. They alleged that
scores of such illegal con-
structions were not paid
heed by the Dindori tehsil-
dar, as well as the Revenue
inspector.
When Free Press ques-
tioned the Revenue inspec-
tor in this regard, he said
that 300 square feet of the
land, on which the restau-
rant was built, belonged to
another man, while the re-
maining 300 square feet
belonged to the RTO de-
partment.
Electoral Officer Anu-
pam Rajan suspended
the presiding officer.
block education officer
Suman Kumar Wasne
died following cardiac
seizure at home on Sun-
day night. Till Sunday, he
discharged his duty by
distributing election re-
lated material.
furniture in
meeting hall
FP NEWS SERVICE
Sehore
A fire broke out in the of-
fice of the superintendent
of police at Sehore, damag-
ing furniture in the meet-
ing hall on Monday, official
sources said.
A team of fire depart-
ment rushed to the spot
and doused the flames. Ac-
cording to reports, the fire
broke out on the first floor
of the SP office at noon.
When the officials saw
smoke emanating from the
office, they informed the
fire brigade about it.
A team of the fire depart-
ment rushed to the spot
and extinguished it.
Superintendent of police
Mayank Awasthi said the
fire broke out in the meet-
ing hall because of an elec-
trical short-circuit.
The furniture in the
room was damaged, but the
documents are intact, he
said, adding that he had in-
spected the spot.
 BHOPAL CITY
INDORE / BHOPAL | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024

Time management, discipline

& setting daily targets
OUR STAFF REPORTER
BHOPAL
lass 10
C achievers
attribute success Toppers in Class 10 CBSE examination from the city
say that time management and setting daily targets
to support from helped them score high. When they got bored from
mother and studying, they used to read books and play badminton,
among other things. Two of them want to become en-
gineers. Excerpt from what they told the Free Press
siblings

Toppers’ success mantra

Khushi Mahavar, 99.4% Balraj Singh, 99.2%
Carmel Convent School, Ratanpur Sagar Public School, Saket Nagar
Toppers look jubilant after CBSE 12th board results declared on Monday.

Consistency, hard work & self-belief

CLASS XII BOARD RESULTS

K B
‘Stayed away from internet’ Got help from mother who teaches
hushi Mahawar has become the city topper alraj Singh says that his mother, a teacher in
by scoring 99.4 percent. Her elder brother a private school, provided emotional
has also passed the board exam in class 12th support and also helped him in studies.
this year. He has secured 82%. “Whenever there Balraj used to study for seven to eight hours
was any doubt in science or mathematics, I used during the exam and did not take any exam stress.
Dev Anand, Kishore Kumar Mohammed Rafi, chess helped toppers bust stress to seek help from my elder brother. Both of us He liked Maths and science, so took PCM in 11th.
stayed away from the internet. Both of us used to He also got the highest marks in mathematics in
study together. We sometimes use smartphones class 10th. “I have two elder sisters who also got
for online studies. I used to set chapter wise support in their studies. Separate classes were
C ity topper’s
dad is IAS
Rajvi Sharma, Humanities,
99%, DPS, Ratibad
Dhanya Pandya
97.2% Commerce, DPS Ratibad
Aditya Pathak
97%, PCM, SPS targets every day and study accordingly,” said
Khushi. She also used to revise the chapter which
she had read, so that it gets completed. “Time
organised for exam preparation and helping study
material was also given. My hobbies are playing
cricket, badminton and football. Apart from this, I
like to read books, especially autobiographies.
officer management and discipline is very important.
OUR STAFF REPORTER After studying for half or an hour, I used to talk to When I got bored while studying, he used to play
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in my parents or brother. My dream is to become an badminton with sisters. My father Parvinder Singh
engineer. Reason: I will study further by taking is a businessman and mother Chusvinder Kaur is a
From playing chess to PCM on the 11th,” she added. teacher.”
watching Game of
Thrones, from taking a
Shivansh Saxena, 99%
walk in a park to chatting

S
St. Joseph's Coed, Arera Colony
with elder sister to listen-

T
Watched all WC matches
ing to golden oldies were

I
among the stress busters even during exams
hivansh Saxena, says as his parents are teachers
for city toppers in the

CBSE Class 12 examina-
tions, the result of which
were declared on Monday.
Their career options
are equally varied rang-
ing from entrepreneur-
ship to business manage-
ment to undecided. Con-
‘Didn’t expect to be city topper’
was expecting around 99% but not
topping in the city. My success mantra
was to recognise your capacity, give your
100 percent and be consistent. I am
intrinsically motivated. I wanted to prove
myself to myself. When stressed, I chatted
with my family members, especially my
elder sister and read fantastical books. The
‘Mom was my chief motivator’
he result is as per my expectation.
My dad, Jigar Pandya, is a
businessperson and my mom,
Harsha, teaches French. I mainly studied
NCERT books but also consulted other
books suggested by my school. Taking a
stroll in a park and listening to old songs
of Kishore Kumar and Mohammed Rafi
M
‘Want to be an entrepreneur’
y focus was not on CBSE
examinations but on JEE
Advance. However, working
on the JEE syllabus helped me in
scoring high in Class 12, too.
so there is complete atmosphere of studying at
home. “I used to study for four to five hours
daily and devoted the same amount of time even
during the exams and so my preparations were
already done. I did not do coaching and practised writing continuously at home. This is also the secret of my
success. I believe that one should never be afraid of working hard. I am fond of cricket, so during my exams,
I watched all the World Cup matches on TV. I play cricket when I am stressed about studies. My mother
Ruchi helped me in my studies at home, because she had been an Associate Professor of Management. I
have started coaching for JEE. I am doing coaching for the first time. Also, the school is not a dummy. My
dream is to do engineering in computer science from IIT Bombay. My father Navneet Saxena is a teacher”.

BMC STARTS MARKING HOUSES FOR

sistency, hard work, be- Infernal Devices and Game of Thrones are Discipline and consistency are my
my favourites. I also like old movies, were my stress busters. During school
lieving in yourself and days, I used to devote up to four hours to success mantras and playing chess is
especially of Devanand. My father Ajit

NON-SEGREGATION OF WASTE
giving your 100 percent to self-study, on holiday, I studied on my own my stress buster. My father, Ravindra
Kumar is an IAS officer and my mother
whatever you are doing
Shrija Tripathi Sharma teaches English at for around six hours. Having confidence in Pathak, is a marketing manager in an
are their success Nutan College. I plan to go for an yourself and working hard are my success agri company and my mother,
mantras. The Free Press Economics (Honours) course. As for mantras. My mom was my chief Vidyawati, is a homemaker. I am not
talked to some of the top- career, all options are open. Civil services is motivator. I am on Insta and Tumbler. I on social media. I want to become an ,000 houses
pers. Excerpts: one of them. I am not on social media plan to pursue an MBA. entrepreneur. 2 surveyed in
Sant Hirdaram
Nagar. Residents
Alert for 20 dists: Brace for 60-70 km/hr wind today
A
counselled
sunny day after experi- Places day temp
cheme in other
D ust storm,
thundershowers encing a brief rain spell
on Sunday night. The day
YELLOW ALERT
lert for rain,
Narmadapuram
(deg/cel)
43.2
S parts soon
remained sunny through- lightning has been OUR STAFF REPORTER
with hail batters
Guna 42.2
many parts of state out but turned cloudy in sounded at Gwalior 42.2 city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
the evening. At the tem- Bhopal, Vidisha, Raisen, Narsinghpur 42.2
perature front, Bhopal Rajgarh, Narmadapuram, Prithvipur 41.9 Bhopal Municipal Corpo-
5 districts
experience hail; recorded day temperature
38.5 degrees Celsius while
Mandsaur, Neemuch, Damoh 41.8 ration (BMC) has started
marking houses from
speedy wind in
Guna, Ashok Nagar, Khandwa 41.5
it recorded 22.8 degrees Tikamgarh 41.5 where it does not get segre-
Celsius after a drop of 5.8 Sheopurkalan, Anuppur, gated waste. The pilot proj-
Bhopal and 26
Raisen 41.2
others districts degrees Celsius. Shahdol, Dindori, Katni, Ratlam 41.2 ect has been launched in
OUR STAFF REPORTER Dust storm, thunder- Jabalpur, Narsinghpur, Shivpuri 41 Sant Hirdaram Nagar area
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in storms battered many Panna, Damoh, Sagar, Khajuraho 41 that falls under zone-1.
parts of the state in the Chhatarpur. Nowgong 40 According to BMC ad- waste. with minus (-) and cross (x)
Bhopal and other areas of last 24 hours. According ministration, most fami- Deputy municipal com- and their occupants will be
the state were hit by a to the meteorological de- lies do not segregate wet missioner (health) Yogen- counselled.

storm accompanied by
thunderstorms in the past
24 hours. Authorities have
issued alerts for 20 dis-
tricts for rain, hail, and
gusty winds reaching
speeds of 60-70 km/h in
the next 24 hours.
The residents in the
state capital woke up to a
partment, hail lashed cer-
tain pockets of Ratlam,
Shivpuri, Dewas, Mand-
saur, Pandhurna.
Dust storms swept many
parts like Raisen, Bar-
wani, Shivpuri, Chhind-
wara, Singrauli, Dewas,
Jhabua. Similarly, light-
ning with speedy wind in
districts like Betul, Se-
hore, Bhopal, Shajapur,
Ashok Nagar, Shivpuri,
Guna, Rajgarh, Indore,
Neemuch, Chhindwara,
Sagar, Singrauli, Mandla,
Jabalpur, Satna, Seoni,
Shahdol, Dhar and Nars-
inghpur.
According to the meteor-
ological department, A
trough (wind discontinu-
ity) which extends from
east Madhya Pradesh to
the Comorin area across
Vidarbha, Marathwada,
interior Karnataka and
Tamil Nadu, is the main
reason for rain, hail in
Madhya Pradesh.
R
RAIN AND
HAIL ALERT
ain and hail alert in next 24 hours
have been for Khargone,
Burhanpur, Harda, Alirajpur, Dhar,
Jhabua, Indore, Ratlam, Ujjain, Dewas,
Shajapur, Agar-Malwa, Betul,
Khandwa, Barwani,Chhindwara, Seoni,
Mandla, Balaghat, and Pandhurna.
and dry waste. Instead,
they put them together,
thus mixing them. Though
fines have been imposed on
many households to stop
the practice, there has been
no improvement. As a re-
sult, BMC has made a list
of houses from where it re-
ceives non-segregated
dra Patel said, “Health offi-
cials have launched it as pi-
lot project. After success,
we will examine it and im-
plement in other parts of
the city.”
So far, survey has been
conducted in 2,000 houses
in Sant Hirdaram Nagar.
The houses will be marked
Zonal officer (ZO)
Vikram Jha (Zone-1) said,
“ BMC has started mark-
ing houses from where
civic body does not receive
non-segregated waste. Af-
ter marking the houses, a
list of such houses will be
made. People will be coun-
selled later.”

After BMC’s Kalkheda and Bhauri projects…

Now, Neelbad housing project

comes under RERA hammer
T he authority
bars BMC from
selling residential
units built under
PM HAF in Neelbad
OUR STAFF REPORTER
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in
The Real Estate Regulatory
Authority (RERA) has
banned sale and transfer of
The Neelbad housing
project, which also belongs
to BMC, has been banned
for the same reason. RERA
has even imposed a fine of
Rs 1.25 lakh on BMC for vi-
olating the norms.
At Neelbad Dussehra
Maidan, residential units
LIG-Type A(2BHK), LIG-
Type-B (2BHK) and LIG-
Type-C(2BHK) - 20 hous-
es in each category - cost-
the BMC gone for registra-
tion of HAF projects, it
would have to get approval
from Town and Country
(T&CP) which was very
tough as all these projects
were coming under the
catchment of Upper Lake.
So it took a short cut and
went ahead with the proj-
ects without getting them
registered.”
3 accidents, 9 fatalities, 24 injured in 24 hrs
awan among three
J dead as army truck
collides with bus, SUV
SUV ACCIDENTS:
THREE DIE IN
SEONI, THREE IN
in Rajgarh district CHHINDWARA
SEONI: Three persons were killed
OUR STAFF REPORTER and five injured, including a bride and
city.bhopal@fpj.co.in groom, when a SUV overturned in
Hinotia village around 11am on
Nine people, including an army Monday, said Aadegaon police station
man, were killed and more than 24 in charge Pooja Chowkse. The
injured in separate road accidents deceased have been identified as
in Rajgarh, Seoni and Chhindwara Anuradha (13), driver Mukesh Dhurve
districts in the last 24 hours in the (25) and Dhirulal Uikey (55). Two
state, said police officials on Mon- seriously injured, including the groom,
day. have been referred to Jabalpur.

any residential units built
under PM Housing for All
(HAF) in Neelbad. This is
the third project to have
come under the hammer of
the RERA. Earlier, the au-
thority had prohibited the
municipal body from
sale/transfer of any resi-
dential units
under Kalkheda and Bhau-
ri Projects for its failure to
get the projects registered
with the authority.
ing Rs 26 lakh, Rs 23 lakh
and Rs 22.50 lakh respec-
tively have been construct-
ed and advertisement for
sale of units were released.
RTI activist Nitin Saxe-
na, who had filed a peti-
tion, said that all the three
projects of BMC—Kalkhe-
da, Bhauri and now Neel-
bad under HAF have been
banned as all three proj-
ects were executed without
RERA registration. “ Had
A
BMC commissioner warned
s the Neelbad project was
executed without
registration with RERA, the
municipal corporation has been
barred from sale and transfer
of the houses constructed
under the project. RERA has
also warned the municipal
commissioner to ensure at all
the housing projects being
undertaken by them are duly
registered with RERA or else
he would be guilty of violation
of section 69 of RERA Act.
An army truck collided with a
passenger bus and SUV after its
tyre burst leaving three persons in-
cluding army hawaldar dead in Ra-
jgarh district, police said on Mon-
day. In all 17 people were injured in
the accident which took place
around 10 am on National Highway
-46 near Pilukhedi under Kurawar
police station limits.
Kurawar police station in charge
Mehtab Singh Thakur said, "Prima
facie, the accident occurred after
one of the tyres of the military
truck burst, causing it to collide
with a private bus and an SUV. Om
Kori, the cleaner of the bus, and a
passenger named Hariom Shivhare
died on the spot." While the mili-
tary truck co-driver Hawaldar Kr-
ishna Dutt Joshi died while under-
going treatment at hospital in
Bhopal. Dutt along with other mili-
tary personnel was referred to
Bhopal for treatment , but he suc-
cumbed to his injuries.
Thakur said that 17 people were
injured in the accident, of which
10 were referred to Bhopal and sev-
en people who sustained minor in-
juries left without taking any treat-
ment.
CHHINDWARA: Three women
were killed and four were seriously
injured when their SUV overturned
around 10 pm on Sunday at Muari
mines, said ASP Awadhesh Pratap
Singh. "The SUV driver lost control
following which the vehicle fell into
a pit and overturned. The injured
persons were taken to Parasia
hospital and then to the district
hospital in Chhindwara," he said.
The deceased include Hiramani,
Sushila Sholekar and Indumati, all in
their mid 50s.
DISTRICT INDORE / BHOPAL | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
Despite their age, residents of the Basera, an old age home display admirable
Jhabua collector and district election officer Neha enthusiasm as they participate in the democratic process, casting their votes at
Meena, along with SP Padma Vilochan Shukla, the nearby polling centre in Dewas district in Dewas parliamentary constituency
exercised their franchise at Polling Booth No 100,
Khargone
Town Hall Jhabua. They not only cast their votes but
also urged all voters to participate in the
democratic process
emerge
front
runner
in Malwa,
Nimar
Dewas collector Rishav Gupta exercises his voting
right in Dewas constituencies, setting an example VOTING TURNOUT
of civic responsibility at the polling station located TILL 6 PM
in the Excellent School.
Khargone 75.79%
Dewas 74.86%
Mandsaur 74.5%
Ujjain 73.58%
Ratlam 72.86%
Dhar 71.5%
Khandwa 70.72%
Indore 61.75%
VVPAT changed in Burhanpur, EVM
glitch at Khanshahwali booth
Barwani SP Punit Gehlod and joint collector KHANDWA/BURHANPUR:
Vishakha Deshmukh embody the essence of Voting for the Khandwa-
responsible citizenship as they exercise their Burhanpur Lok Sabha seat con-
franchise, setting a commendable example for the cluded with a 70.72 per cent
community in Barwani turnout, as the polling closed
promptly at 6 pm. Stricter meas-
Ratlam ures were implemented post-clo-
collector sure, allowing only those
Rajesh already inside the polling booth
Batham sets to cast their votes. This move
example by aimed to ensure the integrity of
casting his the process and prevent any
unauthorised access after the of-
vote, leading
the way for
ficial closing time.
civic duty.
In a concerning incident, P-3
officer Rashida Khan, stationed
at polling booth number 262 in
Anandnagar, had to be rushed to
the district hospital due to a sud-
den deterioration in her health.
Meanwhile, at polling booth
number 216 in the Khanshah-
wali area, an EVM machine
abruptly halted operations at
3:45 pm. The disruption was at-
tributed to a young man who en-
tered the booth with a mobile
phone. Authorities swiftly de-
tained the individual, ensuring
that the integrity of the voting
process remained intact.
In Burhanpur, a complaint
arose regarding VVPAT slips
not falling as expected at the
polling station in Chandrakala,
ward number 24. Collector
Bhavya Mittal promptly dis-
Dhar SP Manoj Kumar Singh and his family
exercise their franchise in Dhar district
Neemuch Dewas records 74.86% voter turnout
collector and DEWAS-SHAJAPUR: Dewas-
district election Shajapur parliamentary con-
officer Dinesh stituency recorded a voter
Jain, along with turnout of 74.86 per cent on
SP Ankit Jaiswal, Monday. MP Mahendra Singh
fulfill their civic Solanki of BJP and Rajendra
duty by casting Malviya of Congress were the
two prominent candidates for
their votes in
Neemuch the seat.
Voting for the seat began at 7
am and ended at 6 pm. There
was a high level of enthusi-
asm among the voters
throughout the day and the
voting took place peacefully
Amidst technical glitches & weather challenges, Ratlam sees 72.86% voting
RATLAM/JHABUA: Polling
in the Ratlam-Jhabua-Alira-
jpur Lok Sabha seat recorded
a remarkable turnout of 72.86
per cent by 6 pm, despite en-
countering various chal-
lenges.
Agar collector and district election officer The day was marked by un-
Raghavendra Singh, accompanied by SP Vinod expected weather conditions,
Kumar Singh, casts their votes at polling station including rain and hail in
Ratlam. Technical glitches in
number 168 in Agar
BREAKING Transgender
Sonali votes in third gender category in
Leader of Opposition in state assembly, Umang Singar casts
Mandaleshwar tehsil of Khargone assembly constituency
BARRIERS falls under Khargone – Barwani parliamentary seat vote during voting session in Dhar constituency
VOTE FOR A BRIGHTER TOMORROW
Sitting MP and Khandwa BJP
candidate Gyaneshwar Patil and his
wife Jayshree Patil exercise their
franchise in Burhanpur under
Khandwa-Burhanpur constituency
patched tehsildar Ramlal Pagare
and a technician to investigate
the issue. Despite finding no
fault with the machine, the dis-
satisfaction of the voters led to
the replacement of the VVPAT.
In the village of Kaldakhedi in
the Pandhana assembly, vil-
lagers initially boycotted the
voting process, demanding in-
clusion in an irrigation project.
The protest ended after ADM
Kashiram Badole presented the
certified map of the canal
scheme, assuring the villagers
of their inclusion in the project.
Subsequently, voting resumed
smoothly. The Khandwa parlia-
mentary constituency
comprises 8 assembly seats
across four districts, with a total
of more than 21 lakh voters.
overall. However, heavy rain
and storms in the afternoon
caused several tents to col-
lapse at many polling
stations. The administration
responded promptly and took
care of the necessary arrange-
ments.
Voting was held for the De-
was-Shajapur parliamentary
seat in Ashta, Agar, Shajapur,
Shujalpur, Kalapipal,
Sonkatch, Dewas and Hatpi-
palya assembly constituen-
cies.
three EVM machines disrupt-
ed voting for around half an
hour.
Congress candidate Kantilal
Bhuria, along with his fami-
ly, cast his vote at polling sta-
tion number 93 in
Jhabua. However, the voting
process faced interruptions,
with one incident of EVM
malfunction in Ward 9 of Rat-
Bhavsing Pura village under Khandwa parliamentary
constituency witnesses a historic moment as
90-year-old Tarabai Yadav cast her vote with
the help of locals.
Dhar-Mhow records 71.5% turnout
DHAR/MHOW: Despite
intermittent rain, the vot-
ing process proceeded or-
derly in the Dhar-Mhow
parliamentary constituen-
cy and concluded
peacefully at 6 pm on Mon-
day. Seven candidates are
contesting for the seat, with
the primary contest expect-
ed between Savitri Thakur
of the BJP and Rad-
heshyam Muvel of the Con-
gress.As of 5 pm, the con-
stituency recorded a voter
turnout of 71.5%, with the
highest turnout of 73.19%
in the Dharampur
assembly constituency, fol-
lowed by Manawar with
71.80%.
Voters displayed eager-
ness to exercise their fran-
chise, with queues forming
75.79% polling in Khargone-Barwani
Boycotts, VVPAT
malfunction reported
KHARGONE/BARWANI:
Voting for the Khargone-Bar-
wani Lok Sabha seat con-
cluded at 6 pm on Monday
with a significant voter
turnout of 75.79 per cent. De-
spite facing various chal-
lenges throughout the day,
including a brief boycott by
residents of two villages and
a halt in voting due to a mal-
functioning VVPAT ma-
chine, the electoral process
proceeded relatively smooth-
ly.
The voting process com-
menced in the morning
amidst rainfall, with en-
thusiastic voters flocking
to polling stations since
early hours. However, the
day was not without its
share of disruptions. Ex-
pressing their discontent
over the lack of develop-
ment work in their vil-
lam City leading to a 30-
minute delay. BJP leaders ex-
pressed their concerns and
demanded prompt action,
leading to the eventual re-
sumption of voting after the
arrival of an engineer's team.
Similarly, another EVM
malfunction in booth number
218 in Ward 44, halted voting
for 30 minutes. Despite these
Former Maharaja Vikram Singh
Rathore of Sailana casts his vote
Tribal voters in showing voting ink after moving outside
the polling station in the tribal dominated Barwani district
STEPPING Congress candidate Radheshyam Muvel (L)
and BJP candidate Savitri Thakur casts their
UP FOR vote Dhar constituency, reinforcing the essence
DEMOCRACY of democracy through active participation
as early as 7:45 am. To en-
sure smooth conduct, 1,155
election personnel and se-
curity personnel are over-
seeing the process. Special
provisions, including
lages, residents of two vil-
lages initially boycotted
the voting process. After
consultations and discus-
sions with the local author-
ities, the villagers eventu-
ally agreed to cast their
votes.
Additionally, voting at
booth number 124 at Post
Office Square in the urban
area of Khargone, was
temporarily halted for
about an hour due to a mal-
function in a VVPAT ma-
chine. The delay was re-
solved promptly after the
faulty machine was re-
placed, allowing voting to
resume without further in-
terruption.
Despite these challenges,
the election proceeded
peacefully, with only isolat-
ed incidents. One such in-
cident involved a com-
plaint regarding an indi-
vidual allegedly casting a
vote in the name of anoth-
er person.
challenges, voting continued
till the scheduled end at 6 pm.
The day also saw a poignant
incident where a seat. Gupta faces stiff com-
young man, who had reached
home after voting, tragically
passed away due to a heart at-
tack, underscoring the sig-
nificance and emotional in-
tensity of the democratic
process.
CENTENARIAN WISDOM MEETS CIVIC DUTY: 100-year-old Haji
Ismail Abdul Karim joins former MLA Vijayalakshmi Sadho at booth
82 to cast their votes in Mandleshwar tehsil, Khargone district, falls
under Khargone-Barwani constituency
DEFYING THE ODDS: Dhoom Singh defied
physical challenges to fulfill his civic duty in
village Navapada, Jhabua casting his vote
with determination
AGE HAS NO BARRIER: 80-year-old Tulsiram
Nathu Patidar casts his vote using a wheelchair
at Polling Station No 47 in Temla village falls
under, Khargone assembly constituency falls
under Khargone - Barwani parliamentary seat
Man casts vote
dressed as
wheelchairs at polling sta-
tions and a doctor with a
medical team stationed at
every sector officer, were
made for the convenience
of voters.
74.5% turnout in
Mandsaur-Neemuch
MANDSAUR/NEEMUCH:
Voting in the Mandsaur-
Neemuch Lok Sabha seat
witnessed an
encouraging turnout of
74.5 per cent, with offi-
cials attributing the in-
creased participation to
extensive voter
awareness efforts.
Women voters, in particu-
lar, enthusiastically exer-
cised their franchise,
with many capturing the
moment by taking selfies
outside polling booths.
The polling process
commenced at 7 am and
continued until 6 pm,
with long queues forming
at various polling
stations across the con-
stituency since the early
hours of voting. The sub-
stantial voter turnout re-
flects the electorate's
keen interest in the demo-
cratic process
and their determination
to have their voices
heard.
The BJP has fielded Sud-
hir Gupta, a three-time MP,
as its candidate in the
Mandsaur parliamentary
petition from Dilip Singh
Gurjar of Congress, mak-
ing it a closely contested
battle between the two ma-
jor political parties. Addi-
tionally, six other candi-
dates are also in the fray.
Jamthun
panchayat secy
suspended
RATLAM: Jamthun panchayat
secretary Komal Singh Pawar
was suspended with
immediate effect by district
panchayat CEO Shringar
Srivastava for not making
arrangements for polling party
and discharging his official
responsibilities. Meanwhile,
the village employment
assistant and the secretary of
the nearby panchayat made
necessary arrangements for
polling party.
Dumahera
panchayat secy
suspended
RATLAM: Dumahera
panchayat secretary Dayaram
Pargi was suspended by zila
panchayat CEO Shringar
Shrivastav with immediate
effect for not exercising his
duties in the LS polls. During
inspection on May 12, no
arrangements were found at
the polling station,
subsequently affecting election
work. He was suspended for
being negligent and maintaining
indifference towards work.
Newly-wed
couple cast vote
KHANDWA: A newly- wed
couple reached the polling
station to cast their vote
right after their marriage.
The couple got married in
Rajasthan. Upon returning,
they casted their vote in
their assigned polling station.
A video of the same has also
gone viral on social media,
garnering widespread
appreciation.
Lord Ganesh
BURHANPUR: Topandas
Wadhwani, a voter, dressed as
Lord Ganesha reached polling
booth number 227 at Asha
Niketan School in Indira
Colony here to cast his vote.
Wadhwani aimed to create
awareness among the public.
He had reached the polling
booth dressed as Lord
Ganesh during Assembly
elections too.
Youth casts vote
on wedding day
JOBAT: Setting an example,
Bharat Chouhan of Khutaja
gram panchayat cast his vote
on his wedding day at
polling booth number 239
here. He encouraged others
to prioritise casting votes
and contribute to nation-
building. Enthusiastic youth,
especially first-time voters,
were excited to exercise
their franchise.
Software engineer
arrives from Dubai
to exercise franchise
MANDLESHWAR: Soumya
Mahesh Sharma, a software
engineer working in Dubai,
reached here to cast her vote
on Monday. Whereas, 100-
year-old Haji Ismail Abdul
Karim reached the polling
booth to exercise his
franchise. Moreover, MLA
Rajkumar Mev, former MLA
Dr Vijayalaxmi Sadho and
municipal council president
Vishwadeep Moyde also
reached the polling booth to
cast vote.
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Workshop on new laws today
RAIPUR: A conversation (Workshop) in order to disseminate the new laws among the
general public, will be held on May 14, 2024 (Tuesday) from 10.30 am in the mini meeting
room, first floor of New Circuit House, Civil Lines, Raipur. Sanjeev Shukla (IPS), Inspector
General of Police, Bilaspur Range, Avinash Chaurasia, DDP, Police Headquarters, and
Shubham Tomar, ADPO, State Police Academy, Chandkhuri will address. CHHATTISGARH | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024

Villagers claim fake encounter, BJP is losing in 379

Naxals says two killed were members seats in four phases: Baij
STAFF REPORTER / BIJAPUR
The locals and activists have
alleged that the encounter in
which police claimed to have
killed 12 Naxalites during an
encounter in Chhattisgarh's
Bijapur district was fake.
Naxalites have also issued a
press note saying that among
those killed, only two were
PLGA members and the rest
were villagers.
Police had claimed on Fri-
day that 12 Naxalites were
killed in an encounter by se-
curity forces in the forest of
Peediya village under Gan-
galur police station area of
Naxal-affected Bijapur dis-
trict of Chhattisgarh. Police
had said that some people
were also detained during
the operation.
Meanwhile, the relatives
of the deceased have been
camping in Bijapur district
headquarters since Satur-
day. The protesting women,
speaking in the local dialect,
alleged that police shot resi-
dents of Peediya and nearby
Itawar village when they had
gone to pluck tendu leaves.
Gurunand, a resident of
Pedia village, witness to the
encounter, claimed in the
media that the villagers had
gone to pluck tendu leaves
and when the security forces
moved towards them, they
started running. He alleged
when villagers were running
in fear the security forces
shot them dead. Raju of Ko-
rchuli village said that he
had gone to the District Mag-
istrate's office to demand the
bodies of his relatives. He
said Lalu Kunjam, killed,
was not a Naxalite but a
farmer. He was at home and
running away after seeing
the police when he was shot.
Avalam Budri said her
husband was caught by the
police when he had gone to
pluck tendu leaves on Friday.
She did not know whether
her husband was alive or not.
She also spoke in the local di-
alect, which was translated
into Hindi by tribal activist
Soni Sori. Former Chief Min-
ister Bhupesh Baghel, react-
ing to this issue, wrote on so-
cial media platform But ques-
tions arise. The security
forces should also keep in
mind that ultimately their
commitment is to the Consti-
tution.
He said, “It is important
to warn the BJP govern-
ment of the state that it
should not repeat its past of
torturing the tribals in the
guise of ending Naxalism.”
CPI Maoist West Bastar
Committee of Naxalites has
issued a press note saying
that among those killed,
only two were PLGA mem-
bers and they too were liv-
ing in the village due to ill-
ness. The rest were vil-
lagers, who were killed
mercilessly, they alleged.
STAFF REPORTER / RAIPUR
Chhattisgarh Pradesh Con-
gress Committee (PCC) Presi-
dent Deepak Baij on Monday
claimed that after four phases
of voting, the picture has be-
come clear to a great extent.
BJP is losing in 379 seats in
the four phases.
He in a statement said, BJP,
which gave the slogan of
crossing 400, is not reaching
150. Elections have been held
on two-thirds of the seats. BJP
has lagged on these seats.
Congress-India coalition gov-
ernment is being formed in
the country. After four phases
of voting, Modi and BJP got
nervous and the tone of their
speeches changed.
He alleged Modi and his as-
sociates made every effort to
take the election to Hindus,
Muslims, Mangalsutra, fish,
mutton, meat. But after the
fourth phase of voting, it be-
came clear that the people
were not misled by the BJP.
BJP's hidden agenda of chang-
ing the Constitution and end-
ing reservation was exposed.
Deepak Baij
BJP was giving more than 400
slogans to change the Consti-
tution.
Making an attack on BJP,
Baij said that the atmosphere
against the Modi government
has started appearing in the
country which is getting
translated into votes against
BJP in the polling centres.
The Prime Minister has lost
his credibility due to his bro-
ken promises. During the last
ten years of the Modi govern-
ment's tenure, lies were told
continuously. Many big guar-
these guarantees have not
been fulfilled till date. Every
guarantee of Modi failed dur-
ing the 10-year tenure. The
Modi government at the Cen-
tre has done nothing except
lying and corruption. People
are troubled by inflation and
unemployment, there will be
voting for change.
PCC chief said voting will
be in favour of Congress in the
remaining three phases in the
country also. Congress has
guaranteed a total of 5
justices. Since the declaration
of the five justices - Women's
Justice, Youth Justice,
Farmer's Justice, Labor Jus-
tice and Participatory Justice,
the attitude towards Congress
has changed among the voters
of every section of the coun-
try, people are seeing their fu-
ture.
He adds, Congress has giv-
en a promise to women to give
Rs 1 lakh every year which is
around Rs 8,333 per month. It
has also promised 50 percent
reservation for women in cen-
tral recruitment. It has led to
polarisation of women voters

Alliance shift flight operations Power companies

installing coolers
The public understood that antees to the country, but towards Congress.

STAFF REPORTER / RAIPUR Frequency from Delhi, Hy-

Union Ministry of Civil
Aviation in a tweet on X
(formerly Twitter) has inti-
mated that the connectivity
to and from Bilaspur has
been replaced with Jag-
dalpur by Alliance Air in
view of market dynamics.
It further states that Ja-
balpur Airport is currently
connected to 5 cities of the
country in the Summer
Schedule, which is similar
to that of Winter Schedule.
Online Fraudsters
Dupe ` 3 Crore
from a Doctor
in Raipur
Raipur : A doctor based in
Raipur fell victim to an online
cyber fraud where fraudsters
duped him of Rs 2.92 crore
with fake promises of smart
and high returns. Initially, the
scammers gained his trust by
assuring him that he would
receive Rs 5 crores and only
need to pay a 10% commission
to them. The doctor, who fell
into the trap of the fraudsters,
transferred Rs 2.92 crores into
the swindlers various ac-
counts 25-30 times. The victim
was finally shocked when he
discovered that the Rs 5 crore
amount, which was supposed
to be credited to his account,
had not been received.
After the incident, the doc-
tor, Dr. Sunil Kumar Devan-
gan, a resident of Ashoka
Ratan, Raipur, lodged a com-
plaint at the Pandari police
station.
derabad and Mumbai has
been reduced due to opera-
tional constraints of the
concerned airlines.
The connectivity to and
from Bilaspur has been re-
placed with Jagdalpur by
Alliance Air in view of
market dynamics. MoCA is
continuously working
with the concerned
airlines to increase connec-
tivity from Jabalpur at the
earliest, states the state-
ment.
Police arrests 14 Naxals
STAFF REPORTER / BIJAPUR
Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur police
on Monday claimed that it
has arrested 14 Maoists, some
of them carrying cash
awards. Bijapur Police in an
official communication
stated that as part of the anti-
Maoist operation being con-
ducted in the district, 14
Maoists were caught while
the team of DRG Bijapur and
Police Station Gangalur
team. The team had recov-
ered explosives and propa-
ganda material of CPI Maoist
organization from the forest
between Pidia-Mutwendi by
the police party.
During interrogation,
Renu Kovasi, Military Com-
pany No. 02, and Mangali
Avalam, Gangalur Area
Committee, ACM both carry
a reward 08.00 lakh, Bichem
Uika, Gangalur Area Com-
mittee, ACM andSharmila
Kursam, Gangalur Area
Committee Member both car-
rying reward 05.00 lakh. A re-
ward of Rs 41 lakh has been
declared on 14 people includ-
ing Lakshmi Tati, Gangalur
Area Committee member, re-
ward of Rs 05.00 lakh.
Jitendra Yadav, SP Bijapur
said that the captured
Maoists were actively work-
ing under Military Company
No. 02 and Gangalur Area
Committee. During interro-
gation they revealed that
along with planting of IED on
the route, Pedia-Mutwendi
road with the intention of
causing huge damage to the
police party.
Police states that 04 pieces
of tiffin bomb, 02 pieces of
cooker bomb, detonator,
cardex wire, gelatin stick and
propaganda material of
banned CPI Maoist organiza-
tion, Gaiti, shovel, crowbar,
were recovered. After a legal
process, in Gangalur police
station, they were produced
before the local court which
sent them on judicial remand.
to keep
transformers cool
AVDHESH MALLICK / RAIPUR
With the rising mercury, the
chances of electric transform-
ers catching fire also
increased. In the month of
April this year, a massive fire
broke in the divisional office of
the Electricity Department,
Gudhiyari of Capital city
Raipur, which took the shape
of a conflagration and finally
gutted 1500 transformers. The
destruction and damage
caused by the uncontrolled fire
resulted in a loss of crores of ru-
pees to the power company.
Finally, taking a lesson from
the incident the electricity de-
partment carried out an un-
usual experiment to keep the
transformers cool. It installed
air coolers in the power distri-
bution substation centres. The
Executive Director of Power
Distribution Company Bhim
Singh Kanwar while speaking
to FPJ over phone on Monday
said, at present it is difficult to
quote the figures how many
air-coolers are installed at the
at the power sub-stations but
this is unusual practice carried
out locally in the state for a long
time.
It helps us to bring down the
transformers temperature by
10-15% or even more in the
summer days when sunray is
direct and scorching. It helped
us in protecting transformers
from getting engulfed in fire,
he said. The indigenous tech-
nology is good and feasible, but
actually it must be tested that
whether it is beneficial and
safe or not, because earlier con-
flagration got erupted at a stor-
age facility of Chhattisgarh
Standards play
important role in
daily life: Rao
STAFF REPORTER / RAIPUR
Prof. N. V. Ramana Rao, Di-
rector of National Institute of
Technology (NIT) on Monday
said the standards play an im-
portant role in daily life.
He was addressing the
‘One Day Sensitization Work-
shop on Standardization’
jointly organized by National
Institute of Technology
Raipur and Bureau of Indian
Standards (BIS) at the E-Hall
of the NIT. Tapas Dasgupta,
Chief General Manager, Bhi-
lai Steel Plant as the Chief
Guest inaugurated it in pres-
ence of Sumit Kumar, Head of
BIS Raipur Branch Office.
Sumit Kumar, BIS Raipur
Head introduced various ac-
tivities of BIS. He said that
that standards are set for
everything around us. BIS is
the first organization which
has been able to reach out to
most of the gram panchayats
across the Chhattisgarh state.
BIS provides free training to
its stakeholders, also created
standards clubs in schools
and colleges which organize
standards related activities.
He said that BIS touches
everyone's life today like
the Steel Authority of India.
He said that BIS is not only
for standardization, but it is
also for testing and certifi-
cation.
Information about BIS
and its functions was given
through various interactive
sessions, presentations, and
other activities. Also, future
CJ inspects
verification
work
of cases
STAFF REPORTER
BILASPUR
Chhattisgarh Chief Jus-
tice Ramesh Sinha, on
Monday after hearing the
cases listed in his court,
inspected the verification
work of the cases going on
in the judicial branches.
It was on the first day of
summer vacation, as the
vacation started in Chhat-
tisgarh High Court, Bi-
laspur on Monday.
A system has to be de-
veloped to identify infruc-
tuous pending cases so
that such pending cases
identified above can be re-
solved after hearing.
The Chief Justice
Ramesh Sinha has asked
to do the work of making a
list of infructuous cases in
writ, criminal appeal,
criminal revision, con-
tempt cases and other cas-
es going on, which will be
done by the Judicial Offi-
cer and the officers and
employees of the High
Court. To inspect the
above work, the Chief Jus-
tice went to each branch
and examined the verified
cases. He asked the Regis-
trar General and
Registrar Judicial to
check the verification
work going on in the
branches every day and
its report should be pre-
sented before them.
He also stated that he

BJP councillor team raises water problem in Raipur city

State Power Distribution Com- BIS is the largest certification possibilities regarding the will keep conducting sur-
pany Limited in Raipur is due body for standards in the signed MOU between NIT prise inspections of the
to short circuit, Narayan Bhoi, country. Raipur and BIS was also above verification work
a senior journalist said. Talking about BIS, he said discussed. from time to time.

STAFF REPORTER / RAIPUR tion raised the demand for en-

The BJP councillor delega-

tion on Monday met Raipur
Mayor Aijaz Dhebar and sub-
mitted a memorandum in-
forming him about the water
problem in the city. They
sought information
regarding the preparations of
the Municipal Corporation to
deal with the water crisis in
summer.
The opposition alleged that
officials had misled the May-
or regarding the water supply
under Amrit Mission, stating
that it is almost complete. The
reality is that water supply is
not being done through the
pipeline laid under the Amrit
Mission Scheme.
Leader of Opposition and
Deputy Leader of Opposition
said that the work of Amrit
Mission is of poor standard
and wherever the work of
Amrit Mission has been done,
the people and public repre-
sentatives are upset.
The BJP councillor delega-
suring water supply through
tankers. It is also inadequate
where it is operational. If
smooth supply is not ensured,
they will go for demonstra-
tions.
The opposition council-
lor raised the issue of non-
issuance of dustbin in
wards. They pointed out
that Rs 75 lakh has been ap-
proved for the purchase of
dustbins, out of which
dustbins worth about Rs 50
lakh have been purchased.
The payment had been
made in three different in-
stalments. Mayor has as-
sured to look into the mat-
ter and resolve it.
Post-mortem report monitoring will be online
STAFF REPORTER
Chhattisgarh’s Raipur Dis-
trict Collector Dr. Gaurav
Singh and Senior Superin-
tendent of Police (SSP) San-
tosh Singh on Monday un-
derlined the need for expedit-
ing the post-mortem report
within a time-limit. A portal
will be prepared to monitor
it.
The top officials were hold-
ing a meeting of officers and
employees of the Police De-
partment and Health Depart-
ment regarding preparation
of post mortem and report
within the time limit in the
Collectorate Hall.
Collector Dr. Singh asked
officials to open a post in AI-
IMS Hospital so that the post-
mortem of dead bodies can be
done as soon as possible. The
PM will also be sent soon and
the report will also be re-
ceived as soon as possible.
Monitoring of the post-
mortem system is being pre-
pared. All post-mortem activ-
ities will be known online.
Health department offi-
cials will have to complete
the process within the time
limit and update the infor-
mation in the portal. It will
provide a lot of relief to the
citizens, they said.
Dr Singh said four doctors
will be appointed for post-
mortem at the Raipur Med-
ical College (Mekahara).
Fthis. He emphasised that
hospitals should work with
promptness to help the in-
jured. The first priority is to
take the injured to the hospi-
tal and before shifting them
to another hospital, first
treat the injured and appoint
an attendant. Then send
them to another hospital. Dr.
Singh said that compensa-
tion cases under RBC 6-4
should also be resolved expe-
ditiously and the amount
should be paid to the family
members. Santosh Singh
said that the PM report
should not be pending. It
needs to be resolved as soon
as possible, the hospital and
the police will have to work
in coordination. LLC reports
should also be prepared in a
better way and as quickly as
possible.

LAST WORD

Our goal is to end Naxalism: Sai
STAFF REPORTER / RAIPUR
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister
Vishnu Deo Sai on Monday
said since the formation of
BJP government in the state,
been fighting against Naxal-
ism with a strong fist.
He said that so far 104 Nax-
alites have been killed. A few
days ago, the security forces
got a big success in the opera-
tion against Naxalites, in
which 29 Naxalites were
killed in one day in Kanker,
ten in Bijapur, ten in Abujh-
mad. Just two days ago on
Friday, twelve Naxalites
were killed in an encounter.
The force lost its lives to 61
Naxalites in these four en-
counters alone.
Never before had such counters fake. The Nax-
a large number of Nax- alites themselves have re-
alites been killed, in- leased the list and
cluding Naxalites with a accepted the encounter in-
reward of Rs 20 lakh cluding deaths. There are
each. It is a huge different people who raise
success. The security questions.
forces did the work with He claimed that the first
great courage, he said. choice of people from
He further said Chhat- Kashmir to Kanyakumari
tisgarh has also benefit- is ‘Modi’. It is the reason
ed a lot from the double that the entire opposition
engine government. The including the Indi alliance
Union Home Minister is upset. So now his age is-
also wants to completely sue is being raised. Con-
eliminate Naxalism gress National President
from the state in the next Kharge took the post at the
one-two years. age of 81. Congress and its
Attacking Congress, allies should first have
especially the former mercy on him.
Chief Minister, he said Describing the tribes as
they are calling these en- real Hindus, CM Sai threw
light on how all the tribal fes-
tivals are traditional, mainly
Diwali and days following it.
On family vacations and out-
ings other than political ac-
tivities, the Chief Minister
said that there is no time to
be free.
“After father's death, our
childhood was spent in strug-
gles from the age of 10. The
plays were distant dreams
but there were a lot of respon-
sibilities. On Paush Purnima,
go with the family and cook
and eat one meal there. After
entering politics most of the
time has been spent in social
programs and among
people,” he adds.
On the wife's part, Sai said
my in-laws' house is only 20
km away from the village.
She is religious and has no
complaints. She is now being
invited for different events.
Political journey from Panch
STAFF REPORTER/ RAIPUR
Describing his political journey,
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai
said, “I had never thought be-
cause when I was 10 years old, my
father’s shadow was not in mind.
Being the elder brother in the
house, along with managing stud-
ies, took responsibility to educate
younger siblings.”
He adds, “On completion studies,
on request of villagers, filed nomi-
nation for the first time of Pan-
chayat elections. Was elected for
five years as Panch. Again on pop-
ular demand, became Sarpanch.
The people of 12 wards voted in
favour out of the 13 wards.”
After a tenure of 6 months as
Sarpanch, Bharatiya Janata
Party asked to represent Tapkara
Assembly which was on unop-
posed in Madhya Pradesh. Con-
gress's candidate could get his
election symbol of the party.
Again won as MLA. In 1999, BJP
gave chance as MP candidate in
1999. It was won and continued
the winning spree for a total four
times, he said.
Thrice the party gave responsi-
bility as State President. In the
first term of the Modi govern-
ment, got the opportunity to work
as a Union Minister of State. On
the question of the priority of the
government after the elections,
CM Sai said that the priority is to
implement the promises that
were made to the people of state.
The guarantees of Modi and to
live up to the trust of the people of
state.
 THE INK OF POWER
SRINAGAR

INDORE | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024

PM’S MESSAGE

PHASE-4: I
am sure
people in
these
constituencies
PULWAMA ETAWAH

IN A NUTSHELL
will vote in
large numbers
and the young
voters as well as
women voters will
power this surge in
AGENCIES / New Delhi
THREE GEN OF ABDULLAH FAMILY CAST VOTE voting. Come, let's all
do our duty and

I
Prominent actors from the
Telugu film industry were n Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar, strengthen our
out to vote on Monday for three generations of the
the elections in Telangana Abdullah family cast their vote. democracy!
and Andhra Pradesh, National Conference president and
former J-K chief minister Farooq FOR PEOPLE OF ANDHRA
while people queued up

U
early at polling stations in Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah rging the people of
and his two grandsons and first-
states such as Odisha, Bi-
time electors Zahir and Zamir
Andhra Pradesh, LAKHIMPUR KHERI
har, Uttar Pradesh and especially first time
Jharkhand to escape the exercised their franchise at a
heat. polling station. voters, to vote in record
Polling was held in 96 Lok numbers in the
Sabha constituencies n Chiranjeevi, NT Rama n In Uttar Pradesh's gal, a polling officer wel- Assembly Elections. May
across 10 states and Union Rao, Allu Arjun, Brah- Bahraich, the first vote was comed people with roses at these polls further
Territories in the fourth of manandam, Nani, Jeevitha cast by a 'divyaang' (physi- a wedding-themed poll sta-
the seven-phase general Rajasekhar, Rajendra cally-challenged) voter. tion. Women-managed
enhance our democratic
elections. Lok Sabha and Prasad, Naga Chaitanya, n Members of the Tharu pink booths were seen spirit.
assembly elections in Manchu Manoj and tribe, indigenous to Nepal, across all constituencies.
Odisha and Andhra Srikanth were among ac- also exercised their fran- n There were also reports
FOR PEOPLE OF ODISHA

Y
Pradesh are held simulta- tors from the Telugu film chise in the district, which of poll boycott from some our vote is your voice'
neously. industry who cast their shares border with the Hi- villages of Shahjahanpur
Here are the snapshots vote in Andhra Pradesh malayan state. district in Uttar Pradesh and let it be heard loudly
from the day: and Telangana. n In Telangana's Kodan- some areas of Odisha. and clearly

DASHBOARD Electors MEET THE HERO VOTER:

queue up in Cancer patient on stretcher
FLOWER SHOWER
SIMDEGA: Elderly voters Pulwama
were greeted with a
shower of flowers as Say, ‘vote a
ONLINE REPORT
Patna THEME-BASED BOOTHS: CYNOSURE OF ALL EYES
they arrived to cast powerful weapon’ Shubhadra WEDDING THEME IN CHAIBASA, JHARKHAND
their votes at a Devi has been
polling booth in PULWAMA: At the gates of battling cancer,
Jharkhand's polling centres in this south but that wasn't
Simdega on Kashmir district, infamous a reason for
Monday. for terrorism and stone- her to skip vot-
pelting, enthusiastic voters ing. She had
queued up on Monday to ex- been surviving
‘ARREST TWO POLLING OFFICIALS’ ercise their franchise with a only on water
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha's Chief Electoral Officer sense of ease in the absence for four days, but still wanted to cast her vote, her son Vi-
Nikunja Bihari Dhal on Monday suspended three polling of a separatist-sponsored jay Kumar Mishra said as he took her on a stretcher to
officials and directed the police to arrest two of them boycott call and fear of vio- the local school in Bihar's Darbhanga where a polling
for "serious dereliction of duty". Speaking to reporters, lence. "We have had enough. booth had been set up.
Dhal said, "We have directed the Ganjam collector to We want change. Vote is our Visuals from the polling booth showed voters standing in
suspend three presiding officers of three polling booths biggest weapon. It is a pow- a queue making way for the stretcher.
and arrest two of them for serious dereliction of duty." erful weapons which will "My mother voted today while fulfilling her civic duty in
help us find solutions to our the last moments of her life. She has been very ill for a
GROOM VOTES IN WEDDING ATTIRE problems. Vote is our right," long time and has been taking only a few drops of water
SRINAGAR: A groom dressed in wedding attire arrived Shakeel Ahmad Para, a vot- for the last four days. When asked, she expressed her de-
at Boys Hr Sec School Kangan in Srinagar parliamentary er said. sire to vote," Mishra said.
constituency to cast his vote on Monday in the fourth
phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He said that he
chose to vote today because it's a fundamental right
granted by the Constitution.
Madhavi Latha booked for asking Electors cast vote RAILWAY THEME IN BERHAMPUR, ODISHA

KIDNAPPED POLLING AGENTS RESCUED Muslim women to show face for first time at former
AMARAVATI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer
(CEO) Mukesh Kumar Meena on Monday said three TDP
Maoist hotbed ‘Budha
HYDERABAD: BJP candi- In the video, Latha was
polling agents who were allegedly kidnapped in
Chittoor district have been traced and secured.
date for Hyderabad Lok Sab- seen asking the women Pahad’ booth
ha seat K Madhavi Latha voters at a polling booth to BUDHA PAHAD: Thirty-
was on Mon- lift the seven-year-old Halkan
KASHMIRI PANDITS VOTE day booked burqa and Kisan on Monday exercised
JAMMU: Displaced from their native soil, their homes, by election show their his vote for the first time at
hearths and loved ones, many of whom perished in the authorities face so that his own booth at 'Budha Pa-
face of militancy and cross-border terrorism; migrant after a video she could had'-a former Maoist
Kashmiri Pandits residing in Jammu turned out in clip in which verify the hotbed, which falls under
numbers outside polling booths on Monday, in the she was pur- identity. Palamu Lok Sabha con-
hope, perhaps, of a homecoming in the not-too-distant portedly ask- She was stituency.
future. ing burqa- also seen Located along
clad women telling the Jharkhand's Latehar and
Muslim vot- policemen to Garhwa districts, Budha Pa-
BJP SLAMS YSR CONGRESS ers to show their faces to allow voters into polling had was freed recently from
NEW DELHI: The BJP on Monday accused the ruling compare with the photo booths only after a thor- the red rebels' control by se-
YSR Congress in Andhra Pradesh of unleashing identity cards surfaced. ough check. curity forces after over
"unprecedented violence" to target National Democratic three decades.
Alliance workers and sought the Election Commission's Kisan cast his vote at
intervention.
MARATHI STARS ADD booth no 420 in govern-

CCTVs OFF AT GODOWN STORING EVMs

PUNE: The Nationalist Congress Party (SP) on Monday
GLAMOUR TO MAHA POLLS
ment's Upgraded middle
school, Hesatu, along with
hundreds of voters from
Sporadic incidents of violence
mar polling in Bengal STONES
MUMBAI: Several prominent Marathi films and televi- different villages fearless-
alleged wrongdoing after CCTV cameras got turned off sion stars brought in oodles of glamour and enthusiasm ly.
for 45 minutes at a godown where the EVMs from the to the polling for 11 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maha- "I have exercised my vote
Baramati Lok Sabha constituency were stored in rashtra and issued fervent appeals to the masses to step at my own booth for the first
Maharashtra's Pune district. out and exercise their franchise, here on Monday. time in my life. Earlier, our Around 1,700 complaints of EVM malfunction and HURLED AT
Among the prominent ones seen at various polling booth used to be relocated, obstruction of agents entering booths were recorded
booths were: Mrunal Kulkarni, Neha Mahajan, Urmila
Nimbalkar, Arya Ambekar, Gayatri Datar, Jui Gadkari,
around 13 km from my vil-
lage, due to impact of the till 1pm, the EC said, adding the TMC, Congress, and DILIP GHOSH’S
SLAP FOR A SLAP: YSRCP MLA slaps Sonali Kulkarni, Shruti Marathe, Subodh Bhave and his Maoist in the locality," BJP filed hundreds of complaints related to poll
CONVOY
wife Manjiri Bhave, and many others. Mostly attired casu- Kisan, a resident of Hesatu violence, voter intimidation, and assaults on agents
man while waiting to vote, he hits back ally, the stars arrived at various polling stations in Pune
and other places where the elections were conducted.
village under Bargarh
block, told PTI.
AGENCIES 2 CISF personnel injured in attack

T
TENALI: A man waiting to vented out their anger on Kolkata

BSF personnel give fresh lease of life to

cast his vote at a polling
booth here on Monday
slapped a ruling YSRCP
MLA after he was at the re-
ceiving end for questioning
the Legislator for jumping
the queue.
The incident occurred at
Tenali in Guntur district
when the local YSRCP MLA
A Siva Kumar attempted to
jump the queue and was
questioned by one of the vot-
ers. In a fit of rage, the legis-
lator slapped the man, who
did not hold himself back
and returned the favour.
Not pleased at the MLA be-
ing slapped, his supporters
he CISF on Monday said two of its
the man.
personnel deployed for the security
"He (the YSRCP MLA) was Sporadic incidents of violence marred the
of a 'Y' category protectee, were
going to vote and he jumped
the queue so somebody (vot-
er) objected," a police official
polling officer who suffered cardiac arrest fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls in the
eight parliamentary constituencies of
West Bengal on Monday as TMC and BJP
injured in an attack and stone-pelting
incident at Bardhaman during the fourth
phase of the Lok Sabha polls.
told PTI about the incident KOLKATA: Narayan Response Team (QRT) and Tacti- workers clashed in various parts of vio-
"An incident of stone-pelting on CISF SSG
which resulted in the skir- Chakraborty (55), a polling offi- cal Headquarters QRT, accompa- lence-hit Birbhum and Bardhaman-Dur-
protectee and attack on his vehicle by
mish. cer at Booth 93 of the Bard- nied by a staff officer, converged gapur seats.
some miscreants occurred at Bardhaman
According to police, there haman-Durgapur Lok Sabha at the location in no time. The Clashes broke out between supporters of
(WB) in which two CISF personnel
was an argument between Constituency in West Bengal, got BSF troops administered Car- TMC and BJP in Monteswar's Susunia
sustained head injuries. The protectee
the MLA and the voter be- a fresh lease of life on Monday, diopulmonary Resuscitation area of Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha
was safely evacuated without use of
fore Kumar hit him. thanks to the prompt action by (CPR) to the polling officer till he seat around noon, as BJP candidate Dilip
force," the central paramilitary force said
After the voter retaliated, Border Security Force (BSF) per- regained consciousness. The Ghosh was on his way to a polling booth
in a post on social media platform 'X'.
the MLA's supporters sonnel of the 115 Battalion, who BSF personnel also made use of following complaints of booth jamming.
launched an indiscriminate were on duty at the premises. the medicines available with As Ghosh was on his way, TMC support-
attack on the voter, raining "Around 9.05 a.m., while super- them and his condition sta- ers blocked his convoy and squatted in ing which some of the cars of the security
punches until police and vising the polling process, bilised," said A K Arya, DIG and front of his vehicle, starting a protest personnel tailing his convoy were dam-
other voters stepped in to Chakraborty suffered a severe spokesperson, BSF, South Bengal against him. aged. Ghosh was also heckled by the TMC
stop the assault. cardiac arrest. The BSF's Quick Frontier. Stones were hurled at his convoy, follow- activists, sources claimed.
Court reserves order on Umar Khalid’s bail plea
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Monday reserved for May 28 its order on the bail plea of former
JNU student Umar Khalid, who is an accused in the case of alleged larger conspiracy behind the
2020 northeast Delhi communal riots. Khalid has been booked under the stringent Unlawful
INDORE | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024
NATION
Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and has been in jail since September 2020.

SOREN CITES KEJRIWAL’S 3 Naxalites killed

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Oppn says Pak...
PM Modi said unlike his opponents, who were concerned
about promoting their offspring, "I have no 'waaris' (successor).
in encounter
EXAMPLE FOR BAIL, SC DENIES
The common people are my waaris".
He reiterated the charge that parties like the Congress and GADCHIROLI (MAHARASHTRA) Campaign (TCOC) period,
RJD, which 'allowed extortion and kidnapping to flourish' while Superintendent of Police
in power, will 'give away reservations' to Muslims 'to pursue Three Naxalites, including Neelotpal said.
their vote bank politics', but added that 'as long as I am alive, I two females, were killed in Two units of C-60 com-
will not let this happen'. NEW DELHI rest by the Enforce- an encounter with mandos, a specialised com-
'Kidnapping and extortion flourished during the RJD rule in ED alleges that Soren, during
ment Directorate his tenure as chief minister, security bat wing of the
Bihar... NDA fights for social justice, 60 per cent Union
The Supreme Court today (ED), which is inves- orchestrated a scheme to forces in Ma- Gadchiroli po-
ministers from OBC/SC/ST categories,' he asserted.
refused to grant interim tigating the money generate illicit proceeds by harashtra's lice, were im-
The prime minister also accused the opposition parties of
bail to former Jharkhand laundering allega- manipulating official records, Gadchiroli mediately sent
'deliberately hurting people's sentiments by making obnoxious
chief minister Hemant tions. The court's de- involving fictitious transactions district on for a search in
statements about the Ram temple in Ayodhya'.
Soren in connection with cision came after the and forged documents to Monday, po- the area, he
Speaking on a day when the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha
a money laundering case Jharkhand High acquire valuable land worth lice said. said.
elections was underway, he urged the people to turn out in
linked to an alleged land Court dismissed crores of rupees. The JMM An intelli- While the
large numbers and vote for the NDA to enable the formation
scam and posted the mat- Soren's earlier peti- leader was arrested on gence input teams were
of a strong government. January 31, leading to his
In his speech, PM Modi also touched upon his government's ter for hearing on May 17. tion against his ar- was received carrying out
Soren's plea for interim rest on May 3. subsequent judicial custody at that some the search op-
track record on development, citing the construction of the Birsa Munda Jail in Ranchi
highways at a rapid rate and underscoring commitment to bail, aimed at allowing his Soren's legal coun- members of eration, Nax-
social justice and empowerment, while accusing the opposition participation in cam- sel, represented by the Perimili alites fired at
of trying to put hurdles in the way of measures like women's paigning for his Jhark- Arvind Kejriwal's order Sibal and Arunabh relief to the former Jhark- Dalam of them indis-
reservations. hand Mukti Morcha and I need bail for election Chowdhury, sought an ur- hand chief minister. Naxalites were camping in criminately, to which the
Fondly recalling late Ram Vilas Paswan, his former cabinet (JMM) party in the ongo- campaigning," Mr Soren's gent hearing of the plea, In his appeal, filed a forest near Katrangatta C-60 personnel retaliated,
colleague, whose son Chirag is contesting from Hajipur, Modi ing Lok Sabha elections, legal counsel Kapil Sibal highlighting the through advocate Praghya village in Bhamragad talu- the official said. After the
called upon people to vote for the young leader and ensure his cited the recent release of told the bench. A bench imminent conclusion of Baghel, Soren contended ka with an aim to carry firing stopped, bodies of a
victory with a margin that could beat his father's record- Delhi Chief Minister comprising Justices San- the general elections. The that the Jharkhand High out subversive activities male and two female Nax-
breaking wins. Arvind Kejriwal from jail jiv Khanna and Dipankar court, however, scheduled Court had erred in dis- during their ongoing Tac- alites were recovered from
as an example. Datta heard Mr Soren's pe- the hearing for May 17, de- missing his plea against tical Counter Offensive the spot, he said.
"My case is covered by tition, challenging his ar- clining to grant interim the arrest.
9 killed, over...
Of the total injured persons, 56 were admitted to Rajawadi
Hospital and others at three separate hospitals.
The unseasonal rain and dust storms led to the suspension of YouTuber Shankar
flight operations at Mumbai airport for an hour in the evening
due to low visibility, services of local trains were delayed while claims threat to
traffic snarls were seen in several areas.
As many as 15 flights were diverted to different airports and his life in prison
the runways operation resumed at 5.03 pm, the airport CHENNAI: YouTuber
operator said.Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the spot of 'Savukku' Shankar on
the hoarding collapse incident in Ghatkopar late in the evening Monday said that he would
and ordered a structural audit of all hoardings in Mumbai city. be "killed" in Coimbatore
"The hoardings, if found illegal and dangerous, would be central prison. Interacting
removed immediately," he said. with reporters while he
"It is a very unfortunate incident. The government will probe was being taken to the
it, and the people responsible will face action. I have also Coimbatore government
asked the BMC commissioner to conduct a structural audit of medical college hospital
all the hoardings in the city. Those found illegal and dangerous for a checkup from the
will be removed," Shinde told reporters. prison, he alleged Coim-
He announced aid of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each person killed batore Jail Superinten-
in the hoarding collapse. dent Shenthil Kumar had
A Mumbai civic body official said 4 persons were declared as broken his forearm.
brought dead at Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar and 61 others
are undergoing treatment. Three others are being treated at
the civic-run HBT hospital, four at Vikhroli's Mahatma Jyotiba
Phule Hospital and one at Kalwa's Prakruti Hospital.

Modi faces...
A dozen Chief Ministers of BJP and NDA-ruled states,
including Yogi Adityanath, several union ministers and officials
of the BJP are likely to attend the event.
Prior to filing the papers in the morning, PM Modi may offer
prayers at the Dashashwamedh Ghat on the bank of Ganga at
around 9am. As per his itinerary, a cruise trip to Namo Ghat
is also proposed. From there, the Prime Minister will proceed
to the Kaal Bhairav Temple and then to the collectorate to file
his nomination. Later, the PM will hold a meeting with party
workers at the Rudraksha Convention Center.
The Prime Minister is also expected to take a holy dip in
Ganga on the occasion of Ganga Saptami, which falls on
Tuesday. It is believed that any task performed on this day
leads to the fulfilment of desires. Any activity carried out
during the Pushya Nakshatra is considered auspicious and is
likely to succeed. PM Modi will file his nomination during this
auspicious conjunction.

Another NEET aspirant

goes missing from Kota
KOTA: Nearly a week after
a NEET aspirant left his
PG room here with ₹ 8,000
in his pocket, another 19-
year-old preparing for the
medical entrance exam in
Kota has gone missing.
Bihar native Aman Ku-
mar Singh, who had been
preparing for the entrance
exam in the coaching hub
for the last two years, left
his paying guest room in
Swarn Vihar colony on the
intervening night of May
11 and 12, police said.
Singh left a note behind
in which he said that he
couldn't do well in the
NEET exam and wouldn't
be able to crack it, they
said.In his note, he asked
to look for him near the
Kota Barrage, located over
the Chambal River. Howev-
er, police declined the pos-
sibility of the boy commit-
ting suicide as no trace of
him was found near the
barrage, according to po-
lice. Based on CCTV
footage, it was found that
Singh got onto a bike with
another boy and reached
Kota Railway Station from
where he boarded a train,
DSP Rajesh Soni said.
It is suspected that the
student left the note in his
room to misguide the po-
lice and his parents, he
said, adding that Singh
will be traced soon.
Earlier this month,
Singh's younger brother
also came to Kota to pre-
pare for NEET and started
living with him, Kunhari
Circle inspector Arvind
Bhardwaj said. His
brother told police that
around 1 am on the inter-
vening night of May 11
and 12, Singh managed to
go out of the PG. When he
woke up around an hour
later, he found his brother
missing.

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Opp. Ravindra Bhawan, Bhopal, Phone : 0755-2660570/71/ 79 Fax: 0755-4271345 E-Mail news.freepress@gmail.com Ujjain:- 2550385. Ratlam:- 234567. Dewas:- 221373. Mumbai, Ph:- 69028000. Advt Dept.: 69028026. New Delhi, Ph:- 23718853. Calcutta Ph:- 22875645. Chennai - Ph:- 28217766. RNI No. 38281/83
 POLL SHOW
INDORE | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024

THEAET
GR

Will make Pak wear bangles: RAHUL: RAEBARELI

Sporadic violence
mark voting
in West Bengal

Modi takes ‘jibe at Abdullah’ MY KARMABHOOMI BISWAJEET BANERJEE will be guaranteed.”

ARITRA SINGHA / KOLKATA

Incidents of sporadic violence

and injuries were reported
during the Phase 4 of Lok Sab-
DHEERAJ KUMAR / PATNA

Prime Minister Narendra

Calls INDIA bloc leaders cowards RAEBARELI

In his first meeting after filing

Modi on Monday launched a
broadside against the INDIA
bloc, calling its leaders “cow-
ards” who were “scared of
Pakistan’s nuclear power”.
At a rally in Bihar’s Muzaf-
farpur in favour of BJP candi-
date Raj Bhushan Nishad,
Modi, in an oblique reference
to a recent statement by for-
mer J&K chief minister and
National Conference boss Fa-
rooq Abudullah, commented,
“The INDIA bloc apparently
have leaders who are scared
of Pakistan and have night-
mares of its nuclear power.”
In a response to Defence
Minister Rajnath Singh’s vow
to take back Pakistan-Occu-
pied Kashmir, Abdullah ear-
lier this month had said Pak-
istan was not wearing bang-
les as it possessed atom
bombs, which could harm In-
dia. Similarly, an old video
which went viral last week
showed Aiyar requesting the
Centre to “respect Pakistan”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi serves ‘langar’ during his visit to
Gurdwara Patna Sahib in Bihar’s Patna on Monday
The opposition is apparently full of cowards and timid
people, who give a clean chit to Pakistan on terrorism, and
raise doubts on surgical strikes. Their left allies even want our
nuclear arsenal to be dismantled. —Narendra Modi, Prime Minister
from the premises of corrupt
people in 10 years but it seized
`35 lakh when the UPA was in
—PTI
sues but all the weapons have
gone blunt and they are not
going to work, he added.
nomination, Congress leader
Rahul Gandhi said he has
adopted Raebareli as his
karmabhoomi as it has been
workplace of his two mothers.
At a public meeting in Ut-
tar Pradesh’s Maharajganj on
Monday, he said, “I have two
mothers, Sonia Gandhi and
Kashi reverberates Indira Gandhi, who have pro-
tected me. Raebareli is the
with Har Har workplace of both my moth-
Modi goonj ers. That’s why, I have come
here to contest the election.”
BISWAJEET BANERJEE Rahul said, “Our family’s
VARANASI relationship with Raebareli is
100 years old. This election
V aranasi came alive on
Monday evening as Prime
Minister Narendra Modi
marks the first battle in histo-
ry where Congress is fighting
to protect the Constitution.
spearheaded a grand roadshow, BJP and RSS will tear apart
setting the stage for his third the statute, closing all av-
consecutive bid for the Lok Sabha enues for the poor. Attacking
seat from this historic constituen- the prime minister and BJP,
cy. Scheduled to file his nomina- he said they are trying to
tion on May 14, the PM’s pre- form a government for Adani
nomination rally drew throngs of and Ambani. The Constitu-
supporters and onlookers. tion is being shredded for
Modi embarked on a spirited
these two individuals.”
Taking aim at the prime
minister, Rahul said, “In ten
years, Narendra Modi has
given `16 lakh crore to 22 bil-
lionaires. This money is
equal to the income of 70
crore people. This fight is for
the protection of the poor. If
the government is formed,
they will send `8,500 to every
woman’s account every
month. The money will be
credited to the account on the
first of every month.”
The Grand Old Party
leader said, “The prime min-
ister has made the youth un-
employed. If the INDIA gov-
ernment is formed, every
youth will get an apprentice-
ship. This way, the first job
He announced the new gov-
ernment will end contractor
system. “Whether it is the
public sector or government
departments, the contractor
system will end as soon as the
government is formed,” he
said.
During this time, Rahul
Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi
were seen together at the pub-
lic meeting. Seeing them both
on the stage together also
boosted the enthusiasm of the
crowd.
Addressing another rally
as he concluded his speech,
Gandhi invited his sister,
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, to
join him at the front of the
dais. Placing his hand on her
shoulder and affectionately
touching her face, Gandhi ex-
pressed his gratitude for her
dedication to the Raebareli
campaign.
“I am travelling across the
country for the elections, and
my sister is devoting her time
here. A big thank you to her
for this,” he remarked.
ha election in West Bengal on
Monday.
At Monteswar and in
Kalna Gate under Bard-
haman-Durgapur constituen-
cy, BJP candidate Dilip
Ghosh was seen getting into
scuffle with TMC supporters
after they stopped him from
entering the area and chanted
‘Joy Bangla’ slogan.
Following the scuffle, the
mob smashed a car in
Ghosh’s convoy.
“Police stood as mere spec-
tators. They didn’t do a thing.
At Monteswar, Hindus were
not allowed to vote. BJP
polling agent was beaten up
and thrown out of the booth.
After getting the word, I
rushed here and they even
tried to stop me. Two CISF
men sustained head injuries
and a security man of mine
was injured,” said Ghosh. A
tussle was reported between
BJP and TMC workers in Dur-
gapur. TMC candidate Kirti
Azad said party workers were
wounded in lathi charge.

Kejri’s 10 ‘G’ baffles Shah

because it had atom bombs.
Modi without naming Ab-
dullah or Aiyar said, “If Pak-
istan is not wearing bangles,
we will make them wear ban-
gles. They (Pakistan) do not
have flour, they do not have
electricity, now I have come
to know that they even have a
scarcity of bangles.”
Earlier, at Kutubpur rally
in Hajipur in favour of LJP
(Ram Vilas) chief Ram Vilas
Paswan, Modi alleged RJD
would abolish women’s quota
in the Lok Sabha and state as-
semblies if INDIA was voted
to power. Referring to ED
seizing heaps of currency
notes, he said the central
agency seized `22,000 crore
power at the Centre.
OPPN FLAYS MODI
The constituents of INDIA
bloc raised objections to
Modi’s ‘bangle’ remark made
against Pakistan.
CPI (ML) general secretary
Dipankar Bhattacharya said
the prime minister was silent
on alleged Chinese incursion
into Ladakh. He asked Modi
to speak on the External Af-
fairs Minister S Jaishankar,
calling China a bigger econo-
my and alleged India was the
most isolated nation in south
Asia due to its foreign policy.
The PM by raising such is-
sues only wants to divert peo-
ple’s attention from real is-
Congress leader Shakeel
Ahmed Khan said the PM
was raising such issues to dis-
tract people’s attention from
unemployment, price rise
and economic slowdown.
RJD spokesperson Chi-
tranjan Gagan said he was
feeling ashamed after hearing
Modi’s language. The PM, in-
stead of talking about the is-
sues, was talking about ban-
gles, fish and Mangalsutra.
“Modi should tell what his
government has done for Bi-
har in 10 years. It is unfortu-
nate we have such a prime
minister,” he alleged.
Further, Modi visited Gur-
dwara Patna Sahib and ser-
ved food to devotees at langar.
procession from the Malviya
Statue near BHU Main Gate to
the revered Shri Kashi Vishwana-
th Dham. Dressed in a saffron
kurta with a white half jacket,
Modi paid homage to BHU foun-
der Bharat Ratna Mahamana Pt
Madan Mohan Malviya before
commencing the roadshow.
The 5-km route, paralleling the
sacred Ganga, served as a testa-
ment to India’s rich diversity, with
locals from various regions show-
casing traditional folk dances and
attire. Amid showers of petals
and melodious sounds of sheh-
nai, shankh, and drums, Modi’s
procession wound through dense
neighborhoods, resonating with
chants of ‘Har Har Mahadev’ and
‘Har Har Modi Ghar Ghar Modi”.
‘AAP fighting in 22 seats’
GAURAV VIVEK BHATNAGAR
NEW DELHI
Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit
Shah has questioned the logic behind Delhi
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announcing
10 guarantees on what the AAP would do for
the country when the party is only contesting
22 seats.
In an interview to NDTV, Shah asked how
Kejriwal intends to fulfil the promises he
made when AAP is contesting 22 seats only.
“How many seats is AAP contesting? 22. You
need over 270 to form a government. What
guarantees are you giving? You
are contesting 22 seats and you
say you will waive power bills
in the country,” Shah
asked.
Shah exuded confi-
dence that the BJP, which
received over 50 per cent
votes in all the seven seats of
Delhi in 2019, will again re-
tain them all despite Con-
gress and AAP fighting as allies
this time. He claimed Kejriwal
tried similar stunts last time too
but AAP won only one seat in
the country.

BJP candidate lifts STARS OF DEMOCRACY

SIDELIGHTS
n Chiranjeevi, NT Rama Rao,

burqas, gets booked

Allu Arjun, Brahmanandam,
Nani, Jeevitha Rajasekhar,
Rajendra Prasad, Naga
Chaitanya, Manchu Manoj and
—SAJAD HAMEED

Srikanth were among actors

OUR BUREAU / HYDERABAD
A case has been registered
against Hyderabad BJP MP
candidate Madhavi Latha for
conducting facial examina-
tion of Muslim women.
As part of the Lok Sabha
election, the BJP candidate
on Monday visited a polling
station in the old city and
asked at least two women to
lift their burqa to tally their
faces with those in their iden-
tification cards.
The video of the incident
went viral on social media
with several calling for a
strict action for violating the
poll code.
Responding to the incident,
District Election Officer
Ronald Rose issued orders to
register an FIR against her. A
case was registered at
Malakpet police station
under IPC Sections 171C, 186,
505(10)(C) and Section 132 of
the Representation of the Peo-
ple Act.
Angered over the verifica-
from the Telugu film industry
tion at booth number 122 of
who cast their vote in Andhra
Ajampur, the AIMIM leaders
Pradesh and Telangana.
lodged a complaint with the
Election Commission, de- n Rain played spoilsport in
manding stringent action Madhya Pradesh.
against Madhavi.
She defended her act, say- n People queue up early at
ing as per the law, the candi- polling stations in Odisha, Bihar,
date has the right to check Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand to
voter ID cards without face escape the heat.
masks. “I am not a man, but a n In UP’s Bahraich, the first
woman. So very humbly I re- vote was cast by a ‘divyaang’
quested them. If someone voter. Members of the Tharu
wants to make a big issue out tribe, indigenous to Nepal, also
of it, it is understandable they exercised their franchise in the
are afraid,” she said. district, which shares border
Madhavi Latha is pitted with the Himalayan state.
against a formidable oppo-
nent in the form of four-time n In Etah, at Gautam Buddha
Lok Sabha MP and AIMIM Inter College in Aliganj tehsil,
chief Asaduddin Owaisi from part of the Farrukhabad Lok
Hyderabad LS Constituency Sabha constituency, District
and BRS’s Gaddam Srinivas Magistrate Prem Ranjan Singh
Yadav. This is the first time took an elderly woman on a
BJP has fielded a woman in wheelchair to cast her vote.
Hyderabad. Asaduddin has
been the elected representa- n Speech, hearing and visually-
tive from here since 2004. impaired Indore resident
Gurdeep Kaur Vasu, 32, cast her
vote at a booth in MP. This is
the second time she has voted.

YSRCP legislator jumps queue, n At least 70 visually impaired

women in Mahesh Drihtiheen
slaps man when questioned Kalyan Sangh in Indore turned
up to vote, setting an example
for others in the constituency,
TENALI: A ruling YSRCP MLA on Monday slapped a man which has the highest number
waiting to cast his vote at a polling booth in Andhra Pradesh’s of voters in Madhya Pradesh.
Tenali only to receive it back himself.
The MLA hit the man who questioned him for jumping the n Divyang brand ambassador
queue. The incident occurred at Tenali in Guntur district Vikram Agnihotri exercised his
when the local YSRCP MLA A Siva Kumar attempted to jump franchise and got his toe inked
the queue and was questioned by one of the voters. In a fit of at a polling booth in Indore.
rage, the legislator slapped the man, who did not hold himself
n In Telangana’s Kodangal, a
back and returned the favour. Not pleased at the MLA being
poll officer welcomed people
slapped, his supporters vented out their anger on the man.
with roses at a wedding-
“He (the YSRCP MLA) was going to vote and he jumped the
themed booth. Pink booths
queue so somebody (voter) objected,” an official said.
were set up in constituencies.
According to police, there was an argument between the
MLA and the voter before Kumar hit him. After the voter re- n There were reports of boycott
taliated, the MLA’s supporters launched an indiscriminate at- from villages of Shahjahanpur
tack on the voter, raining punches until police and other voters district in UP and Odisha areas.
stepped in to stop the assault. TDP lodged a complaint with the
Election Commission over the incident. Meanwhile, police are n Like in the previous phases, a
in the process of filing FIRs. Voting in election to 175 Assembly the elderly reached polling
and 25 LS seats held simultaneously in Andhra. —PTI stations to exercise their
franchise, some on wheelchairs.
n In J&K’s Srinagar, three
Retd judge moves HC matter was mentioned before the the Patlipura seat, waving to the and the BJP would be reduced to 195 at the BJP, Mamata said she would Sonia: Guarantees will Abdullah generations cast vote.
bench of Justice Jay Sengupta and supporters at a celebratory event. seats when the results would be fight the implementation of the CAA
KOLKATA: Former Justice Abhijit will be taken up for hearing on The two were sharing the stage with announced on June 4. Addressing an till her last breath. —Aritra Singha change women’s lives NC president and former J&K
CM Farooq Abdullah, his son
QUICK READ

Gangopadhyay moved the Calcutta
High Court alleging police ‘overaction’
by registering an attempt to murder
case against him while he was
campaigning in Tamluk. Retired
Justice Gangopadhyay is the BJP
candidate from Tamluk.
Gangopadhyay’s lawyer Rajdeep
Majumder has moved the court
mentioning the FIR was lodged to
prevent him from campaigning. The
Tuesday. —Aritra Singha
Tej pushes RJD man
PATNA: Amid the campaigning, RJD
chief Lalu Yadav’s son Tej Pratap
Yadav found himself amid a raging
controversy after a video of him
pushing his party workers from the
stage went viral. The video showed
Tej and his sister Misa Bharti, who
recently filed her nomination from
other RJD leaders, including their
mother Rabri Devi when Tej, who
apparently got into a scuffle with the
worker and pushed him away from
the stage in anger.
Didi predicts 315 seats
KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief
Minister Mamata Banerjee on
Monday predicted that the INDIA
bloc would secure at least 315 seats
election campaign at Bongaon in
North 24 parganas, Mamata said the
leaders at the Centre were “nervous”
as they sensed “defeat”. “They (BJP)
give a narrative of Aab ki baar 400
paar. They have sensed defeat and
know that Narendra Modi is not
going to become the Prime Minister
again. They will not cross even 200
seats and the INDIA bloc will get 315
seats,” said Mamata. Taking potshots
Kidnapped agents freed
AMARAVATI: Andhra Chief Electoral
Officer Mukesh Kumar Meena said
three TDP polling agents who were
allegedly kidnapped in Chittoor dist-
rict have been traced and secured.
The TDP agents were kidnapped from
Bokaramanda village in Chittoor’s
Sadum mandal, which falls under the
Punganuru Assembly constituency.
NEW DELHI: Congress veteran Sonia
Gandhi assured people “guarantees”
listed by the party in its manifesto
will change their circumstances in
this “difficult time”. In a video
message, shared by Congress on
social media, she said women of the
country are facing tough times in the
wake of a “severe crisis” and the
party’s ‘Mahalakshmi scheme’ for
them will help change their lives.
Omar and his two grandsons
and first-time electors Zahir and
Zamir exercised their franchise.
n People voted for the first time
at their own booth at ‘Budha
Pahad’ — a former Maoist
hotbed in Jharkhand’s Palamu
— after three decades. It was
freed from the red rebels’
control by security forces.
MUMBAI
MVA ALLEGES HUGE CASHFLOW IN 4TH PHASE
Overall turnout:
52.49%; highest
in Nandurbar
at 60.6%; Shirur
lowest at 43.89%
KALPESH MHAMUNKAR /
MUMBAI
A voter turnout of 52.49% was
recorded till 5 pm on Monday
in 11 of the 48 Lok Sabha con-
stituencies in Maharashtra,
where polling is underway in
the fourth phase of the general
election, the state electoral of-
fice said.
Polling began at 7.00am in
Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Raver,
Jalna, Aurangabad, Maval,
Pune, Shirur, Ahmednagar,
Shirdi and Beed constituen-
cies. Nearly 60.60% polling was
registered in Nandurbar con-
stituency which is the highest
percentage in the fourth phase
of election in the state. On the
other hand, 43.89% polling has
been registered in Shirur
which is lowest among the all
11 constituencies. Apart from
that, Jalna (58.85%), Beed
(58.21%) Raver (55.36%), Au-
rangabad (54.02%) are the con-
U’khand CM Dhami in Mumbai
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday
termed the 2024 Lok Sabha polls an election of choice between ap-
peasement and development. “Due to the leadership of the Prime
Minister, today the whole world looks towards India with a view of
trust,” Dhami said. He was in Mumbai in support of the BJP's Pal-
ghar Lok Sabha candidate Hemant Vishnu Savra.
‘Mumbai is free from terrorism’
The financial capital of the country, Mumbai, is completely free from
terrorism due to the fierce fight given by the PM Narendra Modi
government against terrorists, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar
on Monday said. “Voters should think about who did the job of
defending Ajmal Kasab, the accused in the terrorist attack on
Mumbai, which ideology is fighting against the terrorists,” he said.
Text: Kalpesh Mhamunkar | Pic: Vijay Gohil
Save Powai lake, put brakes on Kotecha offers to fulfil all
redevelopment: Citizens’ charter expectations of voters
DHAIRYA GAJARA / MUMBAI
The residents of Powai re-
leased a citizens’ charter for
the candidates contesting the
Lok Sabha elections from the
Mumbai North-East con-
stituency. The charter de-
mands to press brakes on re-
development, GST exemption
to cooperative societies, and
bringing Powai lake under
the watch of the Ministry of
Environment.
With citizens’ associations
from across the city releasing
their own charters for candi-
dates, the association of resi-
dents from Hiranandani Gar-
dens in Powai, one of the most
affluent residential localities
in the eastern suburbs, also
released its demands on Mon-
day.
The Powai Action Forum
wants the government to put
a stop to commercialisation
of well-built residential
colonies. Citing policies, the
charter demands that com-
INDORE | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024
BJP candidate Pankaja Munde and her family members cast their votes in Beed
stituencies which registered
highest turnout. Pune (44.90%),
Maval (46.03%), Jalgaon
(51.98%), Shirdi (52.27%), Ah-
madnagar (53.27%) were
among the constituencies with
lowest polling.
Voting was held using
53,959 ballot units, 23,284 con-
trol units, and 23,284 VVPAT
machines, a poll official said.
Meanwhile, the Opposition
Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders
claimed that large amounts of
The residents demand
that BMC should stop
cutting trees
indiscriminately
mercial and industrial activi-
ties should be shifted to pe-
ripheries of large metropolis-
es.
The residents of Powai
want their elected Member of
Parliament to support their
fight in stopping the Citipark
redevelopment project, alleg-
ing that it will ignite the end
of a peaceful residential local-
ity and start a renewed frenzy
of redevelopment of commer-
cial buildings, creating bigger
traffic chaos and noise pollu-
tion.
Demanding GST exemp-
tion to cooperative housing
societies, the residents also
want freedom from perennial
road repairs and want relay-
ing of Juhu-Vile Parle Link
cash were reportedly being
transferred to and fro, ostensi-
bly to buy votes in the Lok
Sabha elections.
Crying foul, Shiv Sena
(UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, NCP
(SP) MLA Rohit R Pawar and
Congress MLA Ravindra
Dhangekar who is contesting
from Pune, hurled the allega-
tions targeting the ruling al-
liance of Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP
(AP) in Pune, Ahmednagar
and Nashik Lok Sabha con-
Allegations of bogus voting in Pune
Name of former Air Force chief Pradeep Vasant Naik’s wife was missing from the list
FPJ NEWS SERVICE / PUNE
Allegations of bogus voting
have emerged in Pune during
the fourth phase of the Lok
Sabh elections held on Mon-
day. It has been claimed that
the fake voting has been done
under the name of Congress'
city chief Arvind Shinde.
“I went to Saint Meera
school for voting, but my
name was already ticked off
on the list, and I was told that
voting was already done in
my name. Someone had
signed next to my name. I
have challenged it and sub-
mitted my tender vote. I have
also lodged a complaint on-
line,” he said.
Along with Shinde, two
more voters in Kothrud have
claimed that they did not get
to vote even after having all
‘I will quit BSP if Mayawati joins BJP’
MANOJ RAMAKRISHNAN
MUMBAI
The fights for the six parlia-
mentary constituencies from
Mumbai that will go to the
polls on May 20 are largely
two-party contests, with the
rivals coming from the main
political blocks - the NDA-led
Mahayuti and the INDI Al-
liance's Maha Vikas Aghadi
(MVA). In one seat - Mumbai
South - a third aspirant is in
reckoning. Shoaib Khateeb,
the candidate from the Bahu-
jan Samaj Party (Kumari
Mayawati) promises to make
the fight for the constituency
more interesting. Khateeb is
a businessman and a trustee
of the city's historic Juma
Masjid. He says that accessi-
ble education and medical fa-
cilities - by cost and distance -
are his priorities for the con-
stituency. Another focus will
be employment, he said in a
conversation. Excerpts:
What made you enter the
electoral fray?
The MP who represented the
area for 10 years is seeking
Road (JVLR) even as Metro
work is underway.
They want Powai Lake to
be brought under the watch
of the Ministry of Environ-
ment and Climate Change for
its sustained nurturing, with
the pollution control board
looking into noise pollution
in the area and penalising the
violators. They also want
BEST to replace all old, big
diesel buses with smaller
electrical buses to combat pol-
lution in the area.
Powai charter also lists
making the area stray-dog
free with controlled
neutering operations. Be-
sides, they also want hawkers
to vacate the illegally occu-
pied parts of the area to facili-
tate smooth vehicular and
pedestrian traffic. Parking
spaces, according to their
charter, are a scarcity here
and should be introduced as
multi-storey lots, while ban-
ning parking of school buses
on busy roads.
Traffic diversion for PM’s election roadshow at LBS Marg
Mumbai: PM Narendra Modi is planning to hold a Sion. The three roads which will be closed are: Andheri
roadshow on May 15 in the Ghatkopar area and in order to Ghatkopar Link Road from Ghatkopar Junction to Sakinaka
avoid traffic inconvenience, the Mumbai traffic police have Junction, Gulati Petrol Pump Junction from Hiranandani Kailas
issued a notification announcing road closure at several spots Complex Road, and both Golibar Maidan and Ghatkopar
on the Lal Bahadur Shashtri – that stretches from Thane to Metro Station (west) towards Sarvodaya Junction.
There
were 23,284
Nandurbar Jalgaon polling
centres, 83
60.60% 51.98%
Jalna
of which are
Raver deemed
Aurangabad 55.36% 58.85% critical
54.02%
Shirdi
52.27%
Maval Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra CM Eknath
46.03% Shinde during a public meeting at Vasai on Monday
Shinde, Shah train
Shirur
43.89%
Voting
guns on Thackeray
Pune Beed was held
44.90% 58.21% using
53,959 ballot
Ahmadnagar units in
53.27% 11 seats
FPJ NEWS SERVICE / DHULE for BJP nominee Subhash
Bhamre, Home Minister
stituencies. and a plea by the guardian money which was shown by Home Minister Amit Shah Amit Shah posed several
Posting a purported video of minister to vote for his party. the NCP SP does not belong to and Maharashtra CM Eknath questions for Uddhav Thack-
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde The irony is that in many vil- my party workers. In the year, Shinde targeted eray.
alighting from a helicopter in lages, the local refused to ac- 2019, Baramati Agro workers Shiv Sena (UBT) “Congress lead-
T
Nashik with two security per- cept the 'prasad' and in others, were apprehended while dis- chief Uddhav ers are supporting
sonnel lugging at least two the village elders siphoned off tributing money in Karjat Thackeray and hree years ago Kasab. I ask Ud-
heavy bags, Raut demanded to half the 'prasad'," said Rohit R Jamkhed in Ahmednagar. So, Congress for sadhus were dhav Thackeray –
know why the CM travelled Pawar in a jibe at the BJP's LS Rohit Pawar should see that speaking the lan- massacred in are you with the
with such bulky luggage for candidate from Ahmednagar allegation first.” guage of Pakistan. Palghar. The MVA Congress leaders?
just a two-hour-long poll cam- Dr Sujay R Vikhe-Patil, who is Reports of destroying Congress eats the had shielded the The Congress
paign trip. battling against NCP (SP)'s EVMs were emerged from bread of India and accused and wants to bring
“Today, a packet arrived challenger Nilesh D Lanke. Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, works for Pak- denied justice to back Muslim Per-
here in the name of everyone However, Sujay Vikhe Patil Beed, Pune, Maval and Shirur istan, alleged the sadhus. sonal Law, are you
called 'Raja' with the 'prasad' denied any wrongdoing. “The area areas. Shinde. “Insulting However, no one with them? Rahul
martyrs and dared to touch Gandhi opposes
shielding Kasab is sadhus after Veer Savarkar, do
an act of treason,” Mahayuti formed
person who is
claiming descent
Maharashtra
you agree with
said CM Shinde. A the government in him? Udhayanidhi
Stalin opposes
— Eknath Shinde Sanatan Dharma,
from Balasaheb are you support-
the required documents be-
cause someone else voted in
gar for the past 15 years.
Speaking with The Free
Force chief Air Chief Marshal
(ACM) Pradeep Vasant Naik
Thackeray should
have ashamed C
ongress leaders ing him?” he
are supporting
while sitting be- Kasab. I ask
asked.
Addressing the
their names. Press Journal, he said, “I will on Monday expressed sur- side the Uddhav Thackeray rally, HM Shah
Additionally, activist mail a letter to the Election prise over the name of his Congress,” Shinde – are you with the also wondered
Vishambhar Chaudhary on Commission and Collector to wife Madhubala having been added. Congress leaders? why the Congress
Monday claimed that his identify total missing names deleted from the voter's list. Shinde was ad- Rahul Gandhi as well as Uddhav
name was missing in voter's and make sure they vote be- Naik, 75, along with his wife dressing a rally in opposes Veer Thackeray, despite
list this year. fore the declaration of results and son Vineet, 43, went to ex- support of Dr He- Savarkar, do you being invited for
He claimed that he has and declare the result after ercise their franchise at mant Sawara, can- agree with him? the January 22
been voting for Lal Bahadur that.” polling booth 26 at Sapling didate of Maha Udhayanidhi Stalin Pran Partishtha
Shashtri School in Shivajina- Meanwhile, former Air School Baner Road in Pune Vikas Aghadi opposes Sanatan ceremony of Ram
on Monday morning. from Palghar. Dharma, are you Mandir in Ayod-
Candidates who failed to cast vote “We are disappointed. Sev- “Three years supporting him hya, did not turn
MUMBAI: Some prominent candidates in Maharashtra missed eral such deletions were no- ago sadhus were — Amit Shah up.
voting due to their electoral responsibilities during the fourth ticed in the list. It must be massacred in Pal- “Because they
phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Monday. They include BJP's found out as to why such dele- ghar. The MVA had shielded were scared of losing their
Sujay Vikhe Patil, Shiv Sena's Sandipan Bhumre and VBA's Vasant tions are happening,” he said. the accused and denied jus- vote bank, the BJP does not
More. Sena Shinde faction candidate from Chhatrapati Meanwhile, the NCP (SP) tice to the sadhus. However, have any such fear,” the
Sambhajinagar Bhumre registered as voter in Jalna Lok Sabha on Monday alleged wrongdo- no one dared to touch sadhus Home Minister said.
constituency. Since he has to spend his entire time in ing after CCTV cameras got after Mahayuti formed the The Congress did not re-
Sambhajinagar, he was not able to go to his constituency and turned off for 45 minutes at a government in Maharash- move Article 370 from Jam-
cast vote. Similarly, Sujay Vikhe, BJP's candidate from Nagar godown where the EVMs tra,” he further said. mu and Kashmir because of
Dakshin Lok Sabha Constituency, is a voter in Shirdi. Vasant More, from the Baramati Lok Sabha Meanwhile, speaking at a the same appeasement poli-
the candidate of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi in Pune, is from Shirur. constituency were stored in rally in Dhule Lok Sabha con- tics, the senior BJP leader
Both were unable to cast their votes. Pune district. stituency to garner support said.
3 Naxals killed in
Gadchiroli fight
another term. He was with voice for Muslims, what do
you think are the national
the BJP-led NDA alliance in
the past, promoting their issues for the community?
agenda. His opponent, Milind We are not being consulted ASHISH SINGH/ MUMBAI launched for area search.
Deora, who was then in the before any laws affecting us During the search operation
Congress, was a hero. Now are made. The CAA and NRC Three Maoists, including two Maoists fired at them indis-
that has changed. The MP is are examples. We are being women, were killed in an en- criminately, to which the C-60
in the INDI Alliance and Deo- asked for documents from 40 counter with security forces team retaliated strongly.
ra is on the other side. He be- years ago. Making some in Gadchiroli district on Mon- After the firing stopped, the
came 'secular' in the last two- changes in marriage laws day. Three automatic bodies of one male and two fe-
and-a-half years of his term. will not attract voters. weapons – an AK47, a carbine, male Maoists were found at
There are allegations that What are the main issues in and an INSAS rifle the spot.
you have been propped up elections. They have said your constituency?
by the NDA to split Muslim that if trustees of religious Educational and medical fa-
along with Naxalite
literature and para- Those killed The
Naxalites
female
were
votes in the area. What is institutions contest elec- cilities are out of reach for phernalia, were re- include two identified as Resh-
your response?
We are campaigning against
tions, these trusts will be
politicised.
most people. Students have to
travel to other parts of the
covered by the secu-
rity forces, Superin-
women, who ma Madkam (25)
of company -10
both the MVA and NDA. A masjid is not just a place for city for higher education. tendent of Police were carrying a who was carrying
There are 25 crore Muslims in
this country. Why is there no
namaz and religious dis-
course. When prophet
Reservations for Muslims are
an important issue.
Neelotpal said.
According to offi-
collective a reward of Rs 4
lakh on her head,
national Muslim leader? This Muhammad established his You are pitched against two cials, they received reward of `22L and Kamla Ma-
is because Muslims have first mosque in Makkah, he national alliances, with all an intel that mem- davi (24), a mem-
been kept away from power made it a centre for commu- their electoral machinery bers of the Perimili Dalam of ber of Perimili Dalam with a
and administration. nity work. and field workers. BSP does Maoists were camping in a bounty of Rs 2 lakh, Gadchi-
Your leader Mayawati was You are fighting two estab- not have much presence in forest near Katrangatta vil- roli Police stated in a release.
with BJP for some time. lished political groups. the state. How are you man- lage in Bhamragad taluka, Maoists undertake the Tac-
What will you do if she de- Where will your voters come aging your campaign? with the intention of carrying tical Counter Offensive Cam-
cides to support the BJP from? BSP is a national party. Our out subversive activities dur- paign (TCOC) from March-
again? Of the approximately eight workers are campaigning for ing their ongoing Tactical June to strengthen their
I will resign from the BSP if lakh votes polled in the seat in me and we are getting sup- Counter Offensive Campaign cadres and launch major at-
Mayawati goes to the BJP. the last election, four lakh ported. (TCOC) period. tacks on security forces as
Some Muslim community went to the NDA candidate. In the response, two units forests are devoid of green
members have criticised Deora won 3.25 lakh votes. (Read full interview on of C60 led by the Gadchiroli cover, thereby increasing vis-
your decision to contest the In the absence of a national freepressjournal.in) police were immediately ibility.
Will review redvpt, GST,
KALPESH MHAMUNKAR / MUMBAI among related issues.
CRZ, assures Gaikwad
“It is my responsibility to DHAIRYA GAJARA / MUMBAI
The manifesto of Mihir fulfil the resolutions that Mi-
Kotecha, the BJP’s Mumbai hir Kotecha has made for the Congress candidate from
North-East candidate, was un- development of this con- Mumbai North-West con-
veiled at the hands of Deputy stituency,” said Fadnavis stituency Varsha Gaikwad as-
CM Devdendra Fadnavis on while unveiling the document.
Monday. Titled ‘Your Expecta- Kotecha, for his part, thanked
sured the citizens of reviewing
redevelopment, goods and
tions, My duty’, it covers all- citizens for suggesting innova- service tax and coastal regula-
round development tive ideas and guid- tion zone if she comes to pow-
of sons of the soil, Manifesto vows ance. er. She also assured the citi-
reservation in job in Kotecha said, zens that the vacancies in
the private sector the construction “Most of your ex- courts and police departments
for Maharashtrians, of a bird park pectations and sug- will be filled up on a war foot-
Marathi market
centres, play sta- at Mulund gestions have been
seriously consid-
ing.
On Sunday, Action For mands regarding environ- the citizens that she would
tions for children, rechristen- ered in my manifesto. The de- good Governance in India ment, health, education, hous- work to rationalise the GST
ing Govandi as Shivaji Nagar, velopment of our constituency (AGNI) had organised a meet- ing, law enforcement and in- and would work to fill up the
turning Mankhurd into a and making life easier for citi- ing with the candidates of the frastructure. vacancies in courts and police
drug-free haven, and rehabili- zens is the goal of the BJP. We Mumbai North-West con- Gaikwad assured the citi- departments on a war footing
tating project affected persons need your valuable contribu- stituency at the Saisa Club in zens that on being elected, she so that citizen’s problems
within 3km radius of redevel- tion to this nation-building Bandra. Out of the two major will look into the current issue would be quickly remedied.
opment projects. work.” Kotecha said after get- candidates from the Maha of redevelopment from both Gaikwad promised the
Claiming that his manifesto ting elected as MP, he would Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and Ma- the developers’ interest and gathering that she would put
covers all sections of society, serve the people and take care hayuti coalition, only Gaik- the welfare of the citizens. her best foot forward to ensure
Kotecha also spoke about in- of them for the next five years. wad attended the meeting While answering a query citizen welfare as done by her
frastructure, roads, railways, The manifesto also reiterated while BJP’s Ujjawal Nikam on relaxation of CRZ, the INC in the past and assured the cit-
transport issues, the construction Mulund Ter- had skipped it. candidate said that she would izens that she would be totally
environment, redevelopment, minus, and the construction of AGNI had also released a address the issue to the Cen- accessible to the citizens and
health, education, women, a theatre in North-East Mum- citizen’s charter for the candi- tral government since it is a would consult them on most of
sports, arts, and culture, bai. dates, which included de- central issue. She also assured the issues.
51 cases of new Covid subvariant found in Pune
PUNE: 51 cases of the new Covid-19
Omicron subvariant KP.2 have been
reported in Pune. This variant, which is
dominant in the United States, has
Confusion reigns among voters
due to phone ban at polling stns
ANKIT SHUKLA
Just hours before Pune,
Shirur, and Maval were
about to go to polls, Pune Dis-
trict Collector Suhas Diwase
issued an order stating that
voters would not be allowed
to carry mobile phones with-
in a 100-metre radius of
polling booths. Diwase urged
voters to leave their phones
at home or in their vehicles
before casting their votes to
ensure the privacy of their
ballots, emphasising that
photography or videography
inside polling booths is
strictly prohibited.
On polling day, chaos and
confusion ensued as many
voters were unaware of this
guideline and had carried
their mobile phones with
them. While at some places,
the police strictly enforced
the order and did not allow
voters to carry their phones
inside, at others, it was per-
mitted but voters were asked
to switch them off.
Hemant Aacharya, a resi-
dent of Ganesh Peth, who
came to vote at Tilak
Ayurved Mahavidyalaya,
said, "I didn't know that mo-
bile phones were prohibited.
I kept it on silent mode inside
CCTVs turned off at godown storing EVMs: Sule New voters prioritise local issues
STAFF REPORTER
NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar)
leader Supriya Sule shared a
video on her official X (for-
merly Twitter) handle on
Monday, alleging that the
CCTV cameras of the godown
where the Electronic Voting
Machines (EVMs) were
stored after the Baramati Lok
Sabha polls on May 7 were
switched off for 45 minutes.
"The CCTV cameras of the
godown where EVMs were
kept after the polling of Bara-
mati Lok Sabha constituency
were switched off for 45 min-
utes this morning (Monday).
SHIRUR LOK SABHA SEAT
NCP(SP) accuses
Mahayuti booth
worker of malpractice
STAFF REPORTER
The Nationalist Congress
Party (NCP), led by Sharad-
chandra Pawar, shared a
video on their official X (for-
merly Twitter) handle on
Monday morning, alleging
that a booth worker from
Mahayuti was encouraging
voters to support their can-
didate, Shivajirao
Adhalrao, in violation of
Election Commission of In-
dia guidelines. According to
NCP(SP), the video was
recorded in Manjari within
the Shirur Lok Sabha con-
stituency.
"In the Shirur Lok Sabha
constituency, a video circu-
lating on social media
shows a Mahayuti booth
member urging voters to di-
rectly vote for their candi-
date within the polling sta-
tion. Such anti-democratic
behaviour, which violates
the model code of conduct,
will not be supported by the
voters. The Election Com-
mission should conduct a
Special drive launched against unauthorised vendors
STAFF REPORTER
To curb unauthorised vend-
ing activities at railway sta-
tions and on trains, the Pune
Division of Central Railway
has undertaken rigorous
measures in recent weeks. A
specialised team comprising
the assistant commercial
manager, assistant security
commissioner, commercial
inspectors, catering inspec-
tors, ticket checking staff,
and RPF personnel has oper-
ated the drive under the
guidance of divisional rail-
way manager Indu Dubey,
additional divisional rail-
way manager Brijesh Ku-
mar Singh, and under the
leadership of senior divi-
sional commercial manager
and senior divisional securi-
ty commissioner.
The drive against unau-
thorised vendors started on
outpaced the previously circulating JN.1
variant and is now driving cases in many
countries. Maharashtra first identified KP.2
cases in January.
The collector should
have issued this order
sooner, or at least they
should have provided some
facility to store our mobile
phones at the polling centre
itself
- Prafulla Gaikwad,
a resident of Bhosari
my pocket. Authorities did
not restrict me."
Neeta Pawar, a resident of
Raviwar Peth, expressed, "I
went inside RPM Gujrathi
BARAMATI LOK SABHA SEAT
Where something as impor-
tant as EVMs are kept, the
CCTV cameras being
switched off is suspicious.
Also, this is a significant
lapse," Sule wrote.
"When the election repre-
sentatives contacted the con-
cerned authorities and the ad-
ministration, no satisfactory
answers were received. Addi-
tionally, no technician was
available at the said place.
Also, our representatives are
not allowed to inspect the
EVM status. This is very seri-
ous," she added. The NCP(SP)
leader further asked the Elec-
tion Commission of India
thorough investigation into
this matter, properly exam-
ining the video recorded at
the booth in Manjari," read
the post in Marathi.
In the 2019 elections,
Amol Kolhe defeated
Shivajirao Adhalrao by
over 58,000 votes
The video was also shared
by NCP(SP) nominee for the
Shirur Lok Sabha seat,
Amol Kolhe, who wrote in
Marathi, "The polling agents
of the ruling party are be-
having as per their will."
In the 2019 elections,
Kolhe defeated Adhalrao,
who was then with the
undivided Shiv Sena, by
over 58,000 votes. This
time, Deputy Chief Min-
ister Ajit Pawar inducted
Adhalrao, who was until
recently with Eknath
Shinde's faction of the
Sena, into his party and
nominated him as its can-
didate.
A total of 560 unauthorised vendors were
apprehended, of which 351 vendors were
prosecuted and produced in court
High School with my mobile
phone. However, in the vot-
ing room, an officer asked
me to place my mobile on the
table next to the voting ma-
chine." Harsh Navale, anoth-
er resident of Raviwar Peth,
said, "I was not aware of the
collector's orders, but no one
restricted me from keeping
my mobile phones within 100
metres. Our voting centre
was at Maulana Mohammed
Ali Johar Urdu Vidyanike-
tan High School. Officers in-
structed me to switch it off. I
(ECI) to immediately take no-
tice of this and disclose the
reasons why the CCTV cam-
eras were switched off. Apart
from this, it is necessary to
take appropriate action
against those responsible for
the incident, she added.
Laxmikant Khabiya, the
election representative
Supriya Sule, said the CCTVs
were turned off between
10.30am and 11.15am at the
Food Corporation of India's
godown, where the EVMs
from the constituency are
stored. "Election officials told
us that the CCTVs will func-
tion round the clock. Our par-
Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar exercised his right to
vote, accompanied by his wife and son
Sonalee Kulkarni exercised her right to vote
along with her family members
11
went in and cast my votes
easily."
Prafulla Gaikwad, a resi-
dent of Bhosari, said, "I was
not allowed to take my phone
inside. I had to leave the
phone at a nearby house near
the polling booth. After vot-
ing, I retrieved my phone."
"The collector should have is-
sued this order sooner, or at
least they should have pro-
vided some facility to store
our mobile phones at the
polling centre itself," he
added.
ty representatives are de-
ployed to keep a watch. On
Monday, we received an alert
that the CCTVs were turned
off for nearly 45 minutes. We
tried to raise the issue with
the police. The administra-
tion has come up with a clari-
fication, but we will submit
an application to the return-
ing officer of Baramati,"
Khabiya said.
Meanwhile, Baramati re-
turning officer Kavita Dwive-
di said the party's claim was
investigated, and it was found
that an electrician at the
godown had removed a cable,
which caused the display unit
FESTIVAL OF DEMOCRACY
Marathi actor Subodh Bhave and his wife Manjiri participated in the
voting process
Entrepreneur Punit Balan and his wife
Janhavi Dhariwal Balan cast their votes
April 27, covering major sta-
tions like Pune, Daund, Mi-
raj, Satara, Ahmednagar,
Kopargaon, Belapur, etc.,
and also on running trains.
These unauthorised
vendors were found selling
cooked food, unapproved
brands of packaged drinking
water, snacks packed in un-
sanitary conditions, etc., on
trains and on platform
premises.
A total of 560 unautho-
rised vendors were appre-
hended, of which 351 ven-
dors were prosecuted and
produced in court. A collec-
tive fine was imposed, and
`3.17 lakh was collected
from these vendors. Addi-
tionally, 1,945 unapproved
packaged drinking water
bottles were seized up to
May 12.
During the drive, surprise
inspections were also con-
Wearing onion
garland, man
protests
against Centre
STAFF REPORTER
NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar)
leader Rohit Pawar shared a
video on his official X (for-
merly Twitter) handle on
Monday in which a man was
seen protesting against the
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi-led government by
wearing a garland of onions
and pouring milk on the
road.
In the video, the man wear-
ing a garland of onions is
seen getting down from his
bike. He then takes the can of
milk and pours it on the road.
"I am protesting against the
Modi government. We are
not getting the right price for
onions and milk. Water has a
higher price than milk," the
man is heard saying.
"Before voting, check out
the sentiments of millions of
farmers in this 30-second
video on WhatsApp," the Kar-
jat-Jamkhed MLA wrote.
to be shut down. All cameras
in the premises were func-
tional, and the data was in-
tact, she said.
The Baramati seat wit-
nessed a tough competition
within the Pawar family —
between sitting MP Supriya
Sule, daughter of Sharad
Pawar, and NCP candidate
Sunetra Pawar, wife of
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit
Pawar. The final polling fig-
ure for the Baramati Lok Sab-
ha constituency was at 59.50
per cent. In 2019, the seat reg-
istered 61.70 per cent voting.
(With PTI inputs)
Krishnakumar Goyal, Chairman of the
Kohinoor Group and Khadki Education Trust,
cast his vote along with his wife
ducted at various catering
stalls by the team. Many de-
ficiencies were noticed at
catering stalls, and many on-
line complaints received
through social media were
promptly addressed by serv-
ing notices/imposing penal-
ties against the licensee. On-
duty staff at the catering
stalls were also counselled
for fair practices. A total fine
of `60,000 was imposed for
violations of norms such as
selling unapproved pack-
aged drinking water and
overcharging on food items.
Furthermore, during
these operations, the med-
ical department collected
food samples from different
authorised stalls on the plat-
forms for quality checking.
If any deficiency is found af-
ter sample checking, neces-
sary action will be initiated
as per norms against the
INDORE | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024
PUNEKARS BOOST VOTER
TURNOUT WITH FREEBIES
INDU BHAGAT
Punekars exercised their
right to vote on Monday in the
ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
Meanwhile, from free tea to
discounts on ice cream, many
freebies were offered to voters
by shopkeepers. This was
meant to boost the voter
turnout, which was close to 50
per cent in the 2019 Lok Sabha
polls.
According to the shop own-
ers, offering free food items
motivates voters to exercise
their voting rights. To in-
crease the percentage of vot-
ing in the Pune Lok Sabha
constituency, the Grahak
Peth grocery stores in front of
SP College offered free tea and
cream rolls to all voters who
came to cast their votes. The
tea and cream rolls were
served only to the early voters
starting from 7am to 10am.
Suryakant Pathak, Grahak
Peth chief, told The Free Press
Journal, "We offered free tea
and cream rolls to all the early
voters who came to vote. Ma-
harashtra Minister of Higher
and Technical Education
Chandrakant Patil also came
to cast his vote. The aim was
to motivate the voters to cast
their vote." A total of 450
restaurants in the city offered
food at a discounted rate for
voters on the voting day.
APOORVA TOPE
Voting took place in the Pune,
Shirur, and Maval Lok Sabha
constituencies on Monday.
Like every election, it also saw
a significant number of new
voters. This new generation of
voters is influenced by technol-
ogy, social media, and globali-
sation. However, their
primary focus appears to be on
local issues such as traffic and
civic amenities. Despite the
broader implications of this
election, which will shape nu-
merous policies and determine
the government with a Prime
Minister, these young voters
prioritise addressing immedi-
concerned licensee.
"As a result of these ac-
tions, the quality of food
items has improved, and
passengers are now being
served standard quality
food items. The railway au-
thorities maintain strict
vigilance against unautho-
rised vendors who are sell-
ing unapproved foods and
packaged drinking water to
passengers. This drive will
continue in the upcoming
weeks," stated a press re-
lease.
"Pune Division authorities
appeal to all passengers to
purchase food items from au-
thorised stalls or vendors and
promptly report through any
means of communication, i.e.,
social media, rail madad com-
plaint book, etc. if any unau-
thorised vendors or malprac-
tices are noticed on trains or
on platforms," it added.
PUNE
A total of 450 restaurants in the city offered
food at a discounted rate for voters on the
voting day
A housing society in Lohe-
gaon decided to offer a dis-
count on the society's mainte-
nance fee to every flat owner
who votes to encourage 100
per cent polling by residents.
Dhruv Ruparel, president
of the Petrol Dealers' Associa-
tion, Pune, said, "To encour-
age first-time voters, the asso-
ciation launched a scheme
under which those who vote
will get an additional fuel
worth `50 on the minimum
ate local concerns.
Siddhi Borhade, a civil engi-
neering student from Indira
College, raised concerns about
the traffic conditions in the
city. "We need stricter traffic
regulations and their proper
implementation as the city
faces issues like traffic conges-
tion and road accidents every
day," she added.
Another student, Ruchika
Singh, from Symbiosis College
on SB Road, said, "The waste
collection and disposal system
within the city has a lot of
scope for improvement. We see
garbage strewn on the streets,
in addition to the sad state of
our rivers. It is something that
IT'S VIRAL
Man finds 'chicken'
piece' in veg biryani
STAFF REPORTER
A Pune man recently took to
X (formerly Twitter) claiming
that he found a chicken piece
in the paneer biryani he or-
dered from a well-known
restaurant chain in the city
via a food delivery app.
Yash Gade stated that he
ordered paneer biryani from
PK Biryani House in Pune's
Karve Nagar through
Zomato. However, Gade, a
vegetarian, found a chicken
piece in it. Gade shared on the
microblogging site that he re-
ceived a refund for the order.
However, he expressed that it
has hurt his "religious senti-
ments" as he is a "religious
person".
"I ordered paneer biryani
from pk biryani house karve
nagar pune maharashtra and
I found a chicken piece in it(I
am a vegetarian) I already got
refund but this is still a sin
since I am a religious person
and it has hurt my religious
Army veteran trolled
Pune: Harish Puri, an army
veteran, was trolled on X on
Monday for appealing to "Hin-
du Punekars" to "get out and
vote" after spotting "15-20
Muslims" in the voting queue.
Puri wrote, "Like a true
fauji, I reached the polling
booth at 7:00 sharp... Thought
I'd be the first to vote, but
there were already about 15-
20 people in the queue, almost
all Muslims... Got to hand it to
purchase of one litre of fuel.
The scheme will be valid till
May 20." Similarly, the
founder of Shirish Traders
offered a cup of ice cream at
half price. The activity was
held near Kamala Nehru
Park on Prabhat Road.
Shirish Bodhani, owner of
the shop, said, "This ice
cream is sold at `60.
However, on polling day, it
was sold at half price, i.e.,
`30."
the city should focus on."
A medical student, Rutuja
Mule, might just be one of the
few students who still rely on
public transport. She said,
"Even though there are re-
served seats for women, elder-
ly, and the differently-abled in
PMPML buses, many people
disregard these rules. Strict ac-
tion should be taken against
such individuals along with a
heavy fine."
A student from DY Patil Col-
lege of Engineering added to
this list of concerns. "The con-
dition of our roads is terrible.
There's new roadwork almost
every day in different locations
in our area," he said.
sentiments (sic)." he wrote.
Responing to Gade's post,
Zomato commented, "We can
understand how distressing it
must've been for you. We take
your dietary preferences very
seriously and would never in-
tend to disrespect them.
Please share your order ID
via DM so we can resolve this
at the earliest with the restau-
rant partners (sic)."
Similar instances have tak-
en place in the country. A
man and his family in
Varanasi claimed to have re-
ceived chicken biryani in-
stead of paneer biryani when
they ordered from Behrouz
Biryani through Zomato.
these guys - their single-mind-
ed focus..! So all Hindu
Puneites - GET OUT AND
VOTE (sic)." The army veter-
an posted a picture, showing
his inked finger. Meanwhile,
the post invited flak from all
quarters.
Lyricist and comedian
Varun Grover commented,
"Bharat Mata ko sharam aati
hogi aise hate-filled divisive
fauji dekh kar."
GUJARAT
INDORE | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024
Five injured
after AMTS bus
brake failure
FPJ NEWS SERVICE /
AHMEDABAD
Five people were injured and
eight vehicles were damaged
in a road accident involving
an Amdavad Municipal
Transport Service (AMTS)
bus on Sunday evening. The
incident, which occurred
near Jodhpur Char Rasta at
around 9pm, has raised con-
cerns about the safety and
maintenance of AMTS buses.
The bus, traveling from Is-
con Cross Roads towards
Star Bazaar, reportedly suf-
fered a brake failure. "It was
terrifying," said Amit Shah, a
commuter caught in the acci-
dent. "The bus just kept
going, hitting one vehicle af-
ter another. Thankfully, no-
body seems to be seriously
hurt."
The accident involved a
mix of vehicles, including
three cars, two autorick-
shaws, and two-wheelers.
The impact caused signifi-
cant damage to the vehicles
and brought traffic to a
standstill.
A team from the nearby
Satellite police station and N
division arrived swiftly, con-
trolling the situation and
IFFCO function exposes BJP rift
FPJ NEWS SERVICE / AMRELI
Dilip Sanghani, a prominent
cooperative sector leader in
Saurashtra and the newly-
elected chairman of IFFCO,
threw down the gauntlet at Gu-
jarat BJP chief CR Paatil with
a bold display of strength. Or-
ganizing a grand felicitation
function in his hometown of
Amreli, Sanghani's move un-
derlined simmering tensions
within the party's ranks, as key
figures rallied behind him
while others conspicuously
stayed away.
The felicitation function
held in honor of Dilip Sang-
hani's dual milestones – his
election as chairman of IFF-
CO and his 70th birthday – be-
came a stage for political the-
atrics, revealing the deep-
seated discord within the Gu-
jarat BJP. Despite Sanghani's
stature as a heavyweight
leader in Saurashtra, his open
challenge to the party's hier-
archy, particularly CR Paatil,
hinted at internal divisions
that have been festering be-
neath the surface.
The conspicuous absence of
state government officials and
members of the state BJP or-
ganization spoke volumes
about the internal strife with-
in the party. Notably, five BJP
CID Raids uncover 'Tarikh Pe Tarikh' in
`1200 crore hawala police recruitment
transactions
FPJ NEWS SERVICE /
AHMEDABAD
Gujarat authorities have un-
earthed a massive web of al-
leged hawala transactions ex-
ceeding 1200 crore following
raids on 25 angadia firms
across the state on May 9. The
probe by the Crime Investiga-
tion Department (CID) and
Income Tax (I-T) departments
also revealed suspicious bank
accounts linked to Dubai,
raising concerns about poten-
tial connections to illegal bet-
ting activities during the re-
cent IPL season.
The investigation builds
upon a previous case in Janu-
ary 2024, where a 1195 crore
money laundering scheme
was uncovered. Infamous
bookie Amit Majithia, a resi-
dent of Ahmedabad with al-
leged ties to Dubai, was iden-
tified as the mastermind in
that case. A red corner notice
was subsequently issued
against Majithia in January,
leading him to flee to Thai-
land after a brief stay in
Dubai.
The recent raids targeted
angadia firms, traditional
money transfer services, in
Ahmedabad, Rajkot, and Ju-
nagadh. While 18 crore in
cash and 1 kg of gold were
seized during the operation, a
Four drown at Dandi Beach
The bodies were recovered after a 14-hour search operation
FPJ NEWS SERVICE / NAVSARI
A festive day at Dandi beach
turned into a heartbreaking
tragedy on Sunday evening
as seven people from three
families drowned in the sea.
While three were rescued, a
mother and her two sons
along with another individ-
ual lost their lives. After a re-
lentless 14-hour search oper-
ation, the bodies of all four
victims were recovered in
the early hours of Monday.
The victims, hailing from
Rajasthan but residing in
Navsari, were enjoying a day
at the beach when disaster
struck. Witnesses reported
seeing the family members
venture too far into the water
and struggling to stay afloat.
Alarms were raised, prompt-
ing a swift response from au-
thorities. Three individuals
were pulled to safety, but a
desperate search ensued for
the remaining four who had
been swept away by the
strong currents.
The search operation
stretched through the night,
involving coast guard, fire
department personnel, and
MLAs from Amreli district
opted to steer clear of the func-
tion, purportedly in protest
against Sanghani's recent
criticisms of State party Chief
CR Paatil and his decisions.
However, the event saw the
attendance of several BJP
leaders who have either been
sidelined or embroiled in con-
troversy in recent years.
Union minister Parshottam
Rupala, former Deputy Chief
Minister Nitin Patel, and Am-
reli Lok Sabha MP Naran
Kachhadiya lent their
support to Sanghani, signal-
ing a rift within the party's
ranks. Their presence at the
felicitation function served as
a testament to the underlying
tensions brewing within the
Gujarat BJP.
Sanghani's decision to
back Jayesh Radadiya for the
deeper concern emerged
from an angadia firm in
Ahmedabad. Authorities dis-
covered over 50 suspicious
bank accounts linked to this
firm, with transactions ex-
ceeding a staggering 1200
crore.
The investigation began
three months prior to the
raids. Initial inquiries in Jan-
uary focused on connections
between cricket betting, on-
line gaming, and 35 dummy
accounts linked to Hemant
Trading, Shivam Trading,
and an individual named
Khanaji. The probe revealed
a total transfer of 1,195 crore
through these accounts be-
tween June 2021 and January
2024.
Following these discover-
ies, authorities registered a
complaint against several in-
dividuals allegedly involved
in the operation. These in-
clude Om Prakash Tiwari
(New Delhi), Bhavesh San-
chaniya and Ashwi San-
chaniya (Junagadh),
Dhananjay Patel (Balasinor),
Vicky, and Bhavesh Joshi
(Banaskantha).
The ongoing investigation
highlights the continued
presence of illegal hawala
networks and their potential
links to criminal activities
like betting.
local swimmers. Sadly, the
tireless efforts yielded only
the bodies of the missing. Yu-
vraj and his mother Sushila
were found at separate loca-
tions early in the morning.
The bodies of Durga, another
victim, and a 15-year-old boy,
Deshraj, were also recovered
near the banks behind a
farmhouse and an ashram
around 4am.
The incident also involved
position of Director of
IFFCO, contrary to the man-
date issued by Gujarat BJP
chief CR Paatil, further exac-
erbated the rift within the
party. Sanghani's criticism of
the state BJP leadership, par-
ticularly regarding the in-
duction of Congress leaders
into the party fold and the im-
position of mandates, echoed
loudly in political circles.
The discord within the Gu-
jarat BJP has led to a realign-
ment of alliances, with some
leaders finding common
cause with Sanghani's
stance. Saurabh Patel, a for-
mer minister who was
denied a ticket in the 2022 as-
sembly polls, publicly con-
gratulated Sanghani on his
IFFCO chairmanship , sig-
naling a potential shift in al-
legiances.
FPJ NEWS SERVICE /
GANDHINAGAR
The promise of police recruit-
ment in Gujarat, made by the
Minister of State for Home
Department, Harsh Sanghavi
back in 2022, has turned into a
prolonged saga of anticipa-
tion for eager job seekers. De-
spite announcements and ad-
vertisements, the recruit-
ment process has been beset
by delays, leaving aspirants
frustrated. As the wait ex-
tends till 2025 for the recruit-
ment to conclude, concerns
over fairness and transparen-
cy loom large, echoing the
sentiment of a famous Bolly-
wood phrase, 'Tarikh Pe
Tarikh.'
In 2022, amid promises of
employment opportunities
for the youth, the announce-
ment of police recruitment in
Gujarat stirred enthusiasm
AN AVENUE OF INVESTMENTS
Surat now among top crypto hubs in India
FPJ NEWS SERVICE / SURAT
Surat, the diamond and tex-
tile capital of India, is now
sparkling in a new light –
cryptocurrency. According to
CoinDCX, India's largest FIU-
registered crypto exchange,
Surat is now in the top 10
cities in the country for cryp-
to investments.
Data reveals that Surat
holds a significant 1 per cent
share of the total $400 million
invested in cryptocurrencies
across India. This translates
to roughly 15 lakh individual
cryptocurrency holders in
the city, out of a national total
of 1.5 crore.
Recognizing this growing
interest, CoinDCX organized
an awareness program titled
the rescue of three others –
Vipulbhai Ishwarbhai Hala-
pati, Rakesh, and Atish –
from separate families.
Former village head of
Dandi, Parimal Patel, high-
lighted the potential danger
posed by high tides. He em-
phasized the need for proper
signage and awareness cam-
paigns to educate tourists
about water safety. “People
get drawn into the strong
Surat diamantaires wooed Two more arrests in
by Botswana for investment Banaskantha blast case
MELVYN THOMAS/SURAT
In a bid to boost its domestic
diamond cutting and polish-
ing industry, Botswana is
setting its sights on Surat's
expertise. A delegation led by
Dipopego Julius Sheko, the
country's Director of Interna-
tional Business and Trade,
visited the Southern Gujarat
Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (SGCCI) to extend
an invitation to Surat's dia-
mantaires and textile entre-
preneurs.
"We are looking for Surat's
support in encouraging local
beneficiation in our diamond
industry," stated Sheko. "By
setting up units in Botswana,
you can export finished dia-
monds to over 54 countries,
including the lucrative US
market."
This initiative aligns per-
fectly with Botswana's vision
of economic diversification.
The nation, a leader in rough
diamond mining, currently
exports a significant portion
of its raw materials.
Ramesh Vaghasia, Presi-
dent of SGCCI,
acknowledged the existing
trade ties between India and
among aspirants. However,
the road to fulfilling these
promises has been riddled
with obstacles, pushing the
timeline for recruitment to as
late as 2026, a staggering five
years after the initial an-
nouncement.
Coaching centers sprung
up in wake of the recruitment
drive, with hubs in various
cities. The year 2024 saw ad-
vertisements inviting appli-
cations for over 12,000 vacan-
cies, further fueling aspira-
tions among job seekers.
However, administrative de-
lays marred the progress, re-
sulting in a prolonged wait
for candidates. Recently, the
chairperson of the recruit-
ment board, Hasmukh Patel,
announced another round of
applications for police sub-in-
spectors (PSI) and Lok Rak-
shak Dal (LRD) positions,
sparking mixed reactions.
"Investment Awareness Pro-
gram: Promote Wealth with
Next Generation Investment
Opportunities and Avoid
Scams." The event aimed to
educate Surat's investors on
safe and responsible cryp-
tocurrency practices.
Anjali Kakkar, an expert
from CoinDCX, addressed the
program, highlighting Surat's
impressive position in the
crypto investment landscape.
"Our data shows that Surat is
among the top 10 cities in In-
dia for cryptocurrency in-
vestments," she said. "The
city holds a 1 per cent share of
the national total investment
of $400 million, and approxi-
mately 15 lakh people in
Surat own cryptocurrencies."
However, she also warned
Serial offender arrested in Ahmedabad after string of violent acts
Ahmedabad: In a major development, police
apprehended a man facing charges in over ten criminal
cases, including molestation and assault. The accused,
Vishal alias Madan Desai, was arrested today in Kaligam
based on a tip-off on his whereabouts.
currents, unaware of the
risks,” he stated. “The gov-
ernment should place clear
warnings to prevent such
tragedies.”
Authorities are investigat-
ing the specific details of the
accident. The local commu-
nity mourns the loss of life
and urges visitors to priori-
tize safety while enjoying the
scenic beauty of Dandi
beach.
Botswana. "India is a major
buyer of rough diamonds
from Botswana," he said.
"Furthermore, Surat
polishes over 90% of the
world's diamonds, earning
its title as the Diamond City."
Vaghasia emphasized the
potential for a broader part-
nership. "Surat boasts a
thriving textile and pharma-
ceutical industry alongside
its diamond expertise," he ex-
plained. "We encourage
Botswana to import these
high-quality products and ex-
plore increased trade oppor-
tunities with India."
Gilbert Shiman Mongol,
the High Commissioner of
Botswana, highlighted the
Dust storms
and rain lash
Ahmedabad
FPJ NEWS SERVICE /
AHMEDABAD
Ahmedabad, which has been
under the relentless heat
with temperatures exceeding
40 degrees Celsius, received a
much-needed respite as the
weather took a dramatic
turn. Strong winds and sand-
storms swept through the
city around 5:30pm, covering
the sky in dust. The winds,
reaching speeds of around 40
kmph, brought a welcome
change, followed by a drop in
temperature and a burst of
rain.
While the showers in
Ahmedabad were brief, other
parts of Gujarat witnessed a
period of heavier rainfall ear-
lier today. Districts like Bo-
tad, Navsari, Sabarkantha,
and Dangs received rainfall
between 2pm and 4pm, with
Botad recording the highest
amount at 20mm.
of potential scams targeting
cryptocurrency investors.
"Fraudsters are creating fake
companies with names simi-
lar to established crypto ex-
changes," she cautioned.
"CoinDCX alone has identi-
fied and taken legal action
Surat Diamond Bourse gets
relief from Gujarat HC
FPJ NEWS SERVICE / SURAT
In a major development for
the Surat Diamond Bourse
(SDB), the Gujarat High
Court has quashed an order
by the Surat Commercial
Court demanding a Rs 125
crore bank guarantee pay-
ment. This comes as a relief
for the diamond bourse,
which faced financial strain
due to the earlier order.
The dispute arose between
the SDB and Ahmedabad-
based PSP Projects Private
Limited after PSP Projects
had filed a petition under Sec-
tion 9 of the Arbitration Act,
claiming non-payment of
dues exceeding Rs 500 crore,
which included a 2.5 per cent
retention deposit allegedly
withheld by the SDB after the
two completed a project.
Following this petition, the
Surat Commercial Court or-
dered the SDB to pay a hefty
Rs 125 crore bank guarantee
which led to a decline in prop-
erty prices within the SDB
complex. With tenants like
Kiran Gems leaving and
maintenance costs rising, the
situation seemed bleak for
benefits for Surat's entrepre-
neurs. "By establishing dia-
mond and textile manufac-
turing units in Botswana,
you can export not only to the
US but also to over 54 African
nations, including South
Africa," he said. "The income
generated can be repatriated
to Surat and India, and our
government welcomes such
ventures."
Mongol further empha-
sized the cultural connection
between the two nations. "A
vibrant Indian community,
including Gujaratis, resides
in Botswana," he stated. "We
invite Surat's entrepreneurs
to leverage this familiarity
and explore opportunities.”
Election office refutes
double voting claim
FPJ NEWS SERVICE/NAVSARI
The Navsari district election
office found itself at the centre
of controversy when a voter
alleged that he had cast two
ballots in the recent
general election.
Satish Patel, a for-
mer municipal
councillor turned
BJP member, took to
social media
proudly displaying
two inked fingers,
claiming to have vot-
ed twice in favour of
a political candidate. Howev-
er, after thorough investiga-
tion, authorities have de-
bunked Patel's claim.
Accompanied by images
flaunting both inked forefin-
gers, Patel's Facebook post on
May 7 stirred waves of scepti-
cism and concern. "I am fortu-
nate that I have had the op-
portunity to cast two votes in
against 120 such bogus web-
sites to protect investors from
falling prey to these scams."
The program emphasized
the importance of using only
FIU-registered exchanges rec-
ognized by the Indian govern-
ment. Kakkar also clarified
Desai was wanted by the Sola High Court Police Station for
a string of offenses. According to officials, his criminal
activities date back to at least March 4, when he reacted to
a request to stop using abusive language during a traffic
jam by attacking the occupants of a car.
the diamond bourse.
However, the SDB chal-
lenged the order in the Gu-
jarat High Court. Advocate
Zaki Mukhtyar Sheikh, rep-
resenting the SDB, argued
that PSP Projects had itself
breached the contract terms.
The SDB claimed that certain
works remained incomplete,
despite being included in the
agreement.
The SDB further clarified
the payment structure, stat-
ing that a project manage-
ment consultancy oversaw
the contract, with PSP Proj-
ects submitting monthly bills
based on completed work.
The SDB could retain 2.5 per
FPJ NEWS SERVICE /
AHMEDABAD
The Banaskantha Local
Crime Branch (LCB) has tak-
en significant strides in the
investigation of the tragic
Veda parcel blast incident
with two additional arrests
made in connection to the
case on Friday.
Following the devastating
parcel blast that claimed the
lives of a man and his daugh-
ter and left two others in-
jured, the prime suspect,
Jayanti Vanzara, was swiftly
apprehended. Now, the inves-
tigation has led to the arrest
of Jayanti's cousins, Ajay and
Jitendra Vanzara, who are
believed to have supplied the
gelatin sticks used in the fatal
explosion.
Jayanti Vanzara, a volving gelatin sticks intend-
resident of Karunda village in
the Khedbrahma taluka of
Sabarkantha, confessed to
purchasing the gelatin sticks
from his cousins and conceal-
ing them inside a speaker,
which was later used in the
blast. The tragic incident,
which occurred on May 2,
sent shockwaves through the
region, prompting
favour of C R Paatil in the
Navsari LS election," his post
boldly proclaimed. This reve-
lation, however, prompted
immediate scrutiny from
election officials and the pub-
lic alike.
Patel had
recently switched
from the Congress
to the BJP.
In a statement is-
sued, the Navsari
collector's official
handle refuted Pa-
tel's claim, clarify-
ing the sequence of
events. Contrary to Patel's as-
sertions, it was revealed that
he had cast only one vote, and
the second inked finger was
the result of assisting his dis-
abled daughter to vote as an
"assistance voter" during the
general election. The
indelible ink marks on both
fingers were a result of this le-
gitimate electoral process.
the tax implications for cryp-
tocurrency investments in In-
dia, including a 30 per cent in-
come tax and a 1 per cent TDS
deduction.
CoinDCX co-founder Sumit
Gupta believes cryptocurren-
cies to be a new asset class.
Minal Kukral, a strategy
maker at CoinDCX, further
emphasized Surat's historical
embrace of new investment
avenues. "Surat has always
been at the forefront of adopt-
ing new investment opportu-
nities," she said. "Our 'Na-
maste Web3. Understanding
Crypto's Fundamentals and
Underlying Technology' pro-
gram aims to help investors
move beyond the speculative
aspects of crypto and appreci-
ate its long-term potential."
cent of the bill amount, of
which 1.25 per cent was re-
leased upon virtual comple-
tion and the remaining 1.25
per cent after the defect liabil-
ity period.
Furthermore, the contract
stipulated that PSP Projects
was to provide a 5 per cent
bank guarantee of the total
contract value, amounting to
approximately Rs 78.75 crore.
This guarantee, however,
was contingent upon the com-
pany applying for a comple-
tion certificate after finishing
the project. Additionally, a 24-
month defect liability period
was established to address
any construction issues.
authorities to delve deeper
into the circumstances sur-
rounding the deadly explo-
sion.
Vadali police, shedding
light on the availability and
use of gelatin sticks for nefar-
ious purposes, highlighted
the ease with which these
deadly explosives can be ac-
quired. Sub-inspector Jiten-
dra Rabari revealed that gela-
tin sticks, priced at a mere Rs
150 to Rs 200 each, can be ob-
tained with a simple letter
from the village head
(Sarpanch), bypassing the
need for a license from the
district collector.
The grim reality of gelatin
sticks being used as deadly
weapons far from new in the
region. Since 2008, there have
been at least six incidents in-
ed for fatal outcomes. These
incidents have claimed four
lives and injured two individ-
uals. In one such instance, a
gelatin bomb discovered in a
Bhavnagar school in 2018 was
successfully defused prevent-
ing any injured. These inci-
dents underscore the urgency
of addressing the prolifera-
tion of lethal explosives.
Akasa Airlines to
launch direct
flights to Mecca
in July
FPJ NEWS SERVICE /
AHMEDABAD
Residents of Ahmedabad re-
joice! Akasa Airlines is set to
launch the first-ever direct
flight service between
Ahmedabad and Jeddah, Sau-
di Arabia, starting July 20,
2024. This exciting develop-
ment will provide a conven-
ient option for travellers trav-
elling between Gujarat and
the Middle East.
"This is fantastic news for
people in Ahmedabad who
have family or business ties
in Saudi Arabia," said a lo-
cal travel agent, expressing
the positive sentiment
among residents. "Previous-
ly, travellers had to connect
through other cities which
added significant time and
cost to the journey."
Akasa will operate the
Ahmedabad-Jeddah route
twice a week using a Boeing
737-8 aircraft. The outbound
flight will depart Ahmed-
abad's Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel International Airport
at 5:40pm, arriving in Jed-
dah at 8:30pm. The return
flight will leave Jeddah at
9:30pm, reaching Ahmed-
abad at 4:55am (+1). Inter-
estingly, reservations for
this route are already open
on Akasa Air's website, de-
spite no official announce-
ment.
This new route comes on
the heels of Akasa's upcom-
ing launch of daily Mum-
bai-Jeddah flights begin-
ning July 15, 2024. The air-
line will offer a second
Mumbai-Jeddah flight five
days a week from July 21,
with the exception of
Wednesdays and Saturdays.
For those two days, it will
operate the Ahmedabad-
Jeddah route instead of the
second Mumbai flight.
EDIT INDORE | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: It was not by gold or by silver, but
by labour, that all wealth of the world was originally
purchased.
— ADAM SMITH

FREE PRESS
FOR FREE FLOW OF TRUTH
India a consistent leader in inbound remittances
The UN estimates that during veal that the average remittance rying aspect. On one hand it lems. For India, there is also a gen-

Fiscal
2022, there were 281 million inter- from a blue-collar worker is a few shows the loyalty and diligence of der angle, in that more than two-

Knives out in Prudence

national migrants representing
3.6% of the world’s population.
These include migrants fleeing
thousand dollars, which forms a
significant portion of his or her in-
come and helps the family back in
those remitting money home. It
brings some macroeconomic sta-
bility to the trade deficit and for-
third of economic migrants from In-
dia are male. So, the women are left
behind to care for the children and

Odisha battle
conflict or persecution, violence,
÷Ajit Ranade political instability and also those
seeking economic opportunities.
Migrating for economic reasons
India. Such remittances face hur-
dles of high transaction cost — as
high as 6% — and also exchange
rate risk.
eign exchange fluctuations. It is a
natural corollary that India is de
facto exporting surplus labour.
The troubling aspect is that this is
the elderly, as is the social norm.
This gender skew is not there for
economic migrants from Sri Lanka
and Philippines.

P
rime Minister Narendra Modi’s uncharacteristically

T
he International Organiza-
scathing attack on Odisha Chief Minister Naveen tion for Migration, an
Patnaik, challenging him to name all the districts in agency of the United Na-
tions, released its World
the state without consulting his notes, has come as a sur-
Migration Report for 2024. This re-
prise as the two leaders have always shared a cordial rela- port, which is rich in data, is re-
tionship. In fact, the Biju Janata Dal has often come to the leased along with many data tools
rescue of the ruling BJP government in Parliament, be it the that help researchers, policymak-
passage of key bills or other issues. While the BJP and BJD ers and media. That data domi-
are in conflict in the state and parliamentary elections,
nates discourse, especially in
these times of rising anti-immi-
which are being held simultaneously, the two leaders have grant sentiment across the world.
never before resorted to personal attacks. Modi’s sharp crit-
Is migration a human right? The
icism of Patnaik, also taking a dig at his poor Odia language Indian Constitution gives a right
to every citizen to move freely to
skills, was met by a counter attack by the chief minister who
any part of the country. But mov-
asserted that the BJP could only dream of assuming power ing across borders is not the same.
in Odisha and also accused the PM of going back on his The United Nations while not ex-
promises for the state, including listing Odia as a classical plicitly recognising the right to
language. If the Prime Minister’s strategy was to influence migrate as a human right, does
have the right to leave any coun-
voters by poking holes in the chief minister’s policies, the try, including your own, as a fun-
move may backfire because Patnaik is a hugely popular fig- damental right. This might sound
ure in Odisha. Poor language skills notwithstanding, he is contradictory but is not. You have
a big draw as he has delivered on the ground with a slew of the negative right to not be co-
erced, or persecuted, and hence
welfare schemes that reach the targeted beneficiaries effec-
can migrate. But you may not
tively. have the right to be automatically
The fact is ever since the planned BJP-BJD alliance fell allowed entry into any other coun-
through earlier this year, there has been added friction be- try. Relatedly the UN also recog-
tween the two parties. Modi himself was apparently keen on nises the right to seek asylum and
the right to not be forced to return
the tie-up but local BJP leaders and some Odisha leaders at to one’s country. These are recog-
the Centre were against it. Just as the Left and Congress are nised because of the risk of perse-
natural rivals in Kerala, the BJP and BJD are on opposite cution, torture or serious harm.
sides of the spectrum in Odisha. The BJP, in its quest for in-
is certainly not a human right. But
once an economic migrant is in a
foreign country, there are interna-
tional agreements and laws that
seek to protect workers from ex-
ploitation and safeguard some ba-
sic rights. India’s international
economic migrants have a stellar
record. For nearly three decades,
they have been sending their
hard-earned earnings home, mak-
ing India by far the highest receiv-
er of remittances. During 2022 In-
dia received 111 billion dollars
which was nearly half of the mer-
chandise trade deficit of the coun-
try. It was also more than twice as
much as the second and third re-
mittance recipients, Mexico and
China.
India’s inward remittances keep
growing, having more than dou-
bled since 2010, and showing a
growth of 6% plus per year, ahead
of GDP growth. By comparison
China’s inbound remittances have
been falling. Pakistan and
Bangladesh get about one-fourth
of what India gets. The bulk of In-
dia’s inbound remittance comes in
from the Gulf states, which are
home to blue-collar workers in
fields like construction, retail, se-
curity, transport and semi-skilled
work. More granular data will re-
By contrast, India’s outbound re-
mittance has also been growing.
Under the Liberalised Remittance
Scheme (LRS) of the RBI the latest
data shows that it might have
crossed 32 billion dollars during
2023-24, with a growth rate of 25%
over the previous year. Unlike in-
In these times of fierce anti-immigrant sentiment, it will
take time to push for freer movement of economic
migrants and service providers
bound remittances which come
from blue collar workers, the out-
bound is typically from the rich
segment, supporting the
education of their children or
maintenance costs of loved ones,
or buying foreign assets. There is
thus a stark divide in the profile of
inbound and outbound remitters.
It would of course be imprudent to
put any restriction on outbound
remittances on the suspicion that
precious foreign exchange is leav-
ing India. One has to examine the
root cause, rather than clamp the
outflow in a knee-jerk fashion.
India’s reputation as number
one recipient of inward
remittance is not without its wor-
relatively low-productivity
labour. Should not these labourers
have found jobs in India? Is it lead-
ing to a dependency syndrome?
Kerala used to get 25% of the
state’s income from remittances
(now reduced to below 20%). That
made Kerala one of the richest
states in per capita consumption,
but it was also a state with notori-
ous labour shortages. Workers
have to be imported from
northern states like Bihar, Jhark-
hand and Orissa to make up for
the shortfall. The huge influx of
Gulf dollars also led to high infla-
tion in the local real estate market
in Kerala. So, a strong and unlim-
ited inflow of remittances,
whether at the state level (Kerala)
or at an all-India level, is a mixed
blessing.
Unless the remittance money goes
into productive investments and in
manufacturing and high-tech indus-
tries, and instead goes only into real
estate, it can cause long-term prob-
India is the world’s most populat-
ed country, with a paucity of high-
quality jobs, and its per capita in-
come is low. So, it is natural to ex-
pect it to be a leader in economic
migration. Domestically too, one-
third of the population are internal
migrants in search of jobs and
livelihoods. Much of the internal
migration tends to be seasonal, cir-
cular and often intra-state too. In-
ternational migration of Indians is
a totally different matter. There is
much more vulnerability, possibil-
ity of exploitation and discrimina-
tion, especially since the migrants
are mostly in blue-collar work. It
requires proactive intervention
from our consular staff. India has
also been advocating for a special
WTO work permit system, which
allows people to travel for work
and not get treated as potential im-
migrants every time they stand in
line for a visa. In these times of
fierce anti-immigrant sentiment,
it will take time to push for freer
movement of economic migrants
and service providers. Till then we
can cherish the strong remittance
earnings.
Dr Ajit Ranade is a noted Pune-based
economist. Syndicate: The Billion Press
(email: editor@thebillionpress.org)

Lessons for India from Raisi’s Pak, Lanka visit

creased seats, is banking on West Bengal and Odisha to de-
liver. Therefore, the all-out attack on the BJD, especially
Patnaik’s close aide VK Pandian, labelling him an outsider,
is understandable. Attempts have also been made to poach
on BJD leaders unhappy with Pandian’s prominence in the

Heart of
to breaking point by prioritising island to Sri Lanka. Moreover, at ing services. A total of five pacts, were revived in September 2023
party. Modi has promised voters that if the BJP comes to Washington over a tried-and-test- present a social media campaign covering handholding in econo- after the Tehran-Riyadh détente
power in Odisha, a true son of the soil will be chief minister, ed ally like Tehran, and foolishly in Sri Lanka has put India in the my, trade, science and brokered by Beijing changed
in an indirect dig at both the CM and Pandian, seen as his
successor. Patnaik, who came to Odisha as an untested the Matter stopping the import of Iranian oil
to please the US. All this has
deeply hurt Iran but it refrains
dock for “stealing” the island na-
tion’s land, water and air, high-
lighting the widening cracks in
technology, art, media and
tourism, were signed in the first
visit by an Iranian president in 16
strategic equations in the Middle
East and beyond.
In fact, Tehran is today so close-
politician with a reputation of being a socialite author is
now the state’s longest serving chief minister having been ÷S N M Abdi from airing its displeasure pub-
licly, although I am told that it
bilateral relations, despite New
Delhi’s massive economic assis-
years after Mahmoud Ahmadine-
jad’s way back in 2008. Tehran
ly allied and integrated with Bei-
jing, thanks to a 2021strategic
in the post for over two decades. His connect with the people doesn’t mince its words in private tance in 2022-23 when other pow- clearly wants to harness Sri agreement, that any rise in Iran’s

I
is sometimes unfathomable but there is little chance that he n eight long months Israel has
will be unseated in these elections. The BJP can only hope miserably failed to defeat
Hamas or to crush the Pales-
to increase its vote share and maybe gain a few more Lok tinian people, even with the full
Sabha seats. A saffron government in Bhubaneswar is still backing of the United States and
a long shot. rich and powerful Western na-
tions like the United Kingdom
and finds solace in cornering and
embarrassing Indian diplomats,
including External Affairs Minis-
ter S Jaishankar, behind closed
doors.
Secondly, India is brazenly
standing with Israel since
ers were twiddling their thumbs.
Standing in India’s backyard,
Raisi offered cooperation and
help to both Pakistan and Sri Lan-
ka which are grappling with eco-
nomic distress and have even
Lankan geostrategic location to
beef up the Iranian navy’s capa-
bilities in the Indian Ocean Re-
gion. But any increase in Iran’s
influence in IOR by collaborating
with Sri Lanka would impact In-
influence in Sri Lanka, the Mal-
dives and Bangladesh — not to
speak of Pakistan which is any-
way totally subservient to Beijing
— will only fortify China’s posi-
tion in those countries to India’s
detriment in the short, medium

Ironic justification and Germany, thanks to a certain

country with a spine of steel
called Iran. Iran also enjoys the
October 7 in sync with the
Bharatiya Janata Party’s anti-
Muslim, Islamophobic ideology,
While the current state of India-Pakistan relations needs
no elaboration, Colombo’s disquiet and differences with
and long term.
Importantly, Raisi blasted and
slammed Washington and Tel

I New Delhi have boiled over after Modi publicly accused

n a supreme irony, the Marxists in Kerala are now tak- distinction of being the only coun-
ing recourse to a Biblical narrative to defend their try in the Middle East to recently
‘supreme leader’ Pinarayi Vijayan. Senior CPM leader launch a direct aerial attack on Is-
A K Balan said when even God Almighty took a day’s rest rael in decades, shattering the
Zionist regime’s carefully culti-
after creating the universe in six days, Vijayan was totally vated aura of invincibility and
justified in going on a three-week-long vacation due to the dominance. Without a doubt, Is-
stress of work despite the ongoing crucial general election rael is the current villain and
when the stated aim of the CPM is to end the ‘fascistic’ rule monster in the Gulf region, while
Iran is the hero and angel.
of the BJP. Balan’s justification was cringe-worthy and in-
Notably, Iran’s President
dicative of the sycophancy that has invaded the party. Many Ebrahim Raisi chose to spend sev-
questions are being raised on Vijayan’s sudden visit to In- eral days in India’s neighbour-
donesia without informing anyone, but the CPM feels no ex- hood at a time when Tehran’s in-
planation is needed for his secret vacation. More than his ternational standing is at an all
time high. Raisi’s state visits in
sudden departure for foreign shores is the abject adulation the last fortnight to Pakistan and
of the chief minister by a party known for its belief in egali- Sri Lanka, which are in India’s
tarianism and inner-party consultations. That Vijayan, the zone of influence, are hugely sig-
only communist chief minister in India, calls the shots in nificant for us for two key rea-
sons.
the CPM is well known.
Firstly, Prime Minister Naren-
A vibrant press and an active Opposition in Kerala have dra Modi’s government has
been posing many questions on the lack of CBI and ED ac- brought its ties with Iran almost
tion against Vijayan and his family despite several allega-
tions. There are charges that he has struck a deal with the
The Prettiest Hands In
whereas Iran treats Israel as its
Enemy No 1. Well-publicised tele-
phone calls between Modi and
Benjamin Netanyahu underline
the nexus. In short, Iran’s biggest
enemies — the US and Israel —
are today India’s biggest friends.
So where does that exactly leave
India-Iran relations? New Delhi
and Tehran are certainly not foes;
at least not yet, but are they really
friends any more?
Raisi undoubtedly sent a clear
message to New Delhi — South
Asia’s resident power — by court-
ing and wooing countries like
Pakistan and Sri Lanka at this
juncture. While the current state
of India-Pakistan relations needs
no elaboration, Colombo’s disqui-
et and differences with New Delhi
have boiled over after Modi pub-
licly accused Indira Gandhi of cal-
lously giving Katchatheevu
LETTERS
Indira Gandhi of giving Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka
turned to the International Mone-
tary Fund for bailout packages. In
Islamabad, Raisi also held out an
olive branch after the cross-bor-
der strikes Pakistan and Iran re-
sorted to in January. Military
conflict between Tehran and Is-
lamabad no doubt suit and benefit
New Delhi — and de-escalation is
definitely not in India’s interests!
Moreover, the visit brought Iran
and Pakistan closer to a Free
Trade Agreement than ever be-
fore.
In Colombo, Raisi signed a Mem-
orandum of Understanding for
the $514 million Uma Oya hy-
dropower and irrigation project
pledging technical and engineer-
Retrograde political class
dia, especially if Iran also enters
into a military tie-up with Islam-
abad.
Raisi’s outreach to Pakistan and
Sri Lanka last month comple-
ments his recent overtures to
Bangladesh and the Maldives in
India’s neighbourhood. A year
ago, he focused on strengthening
trade ties with Dhaka during a
telephonic call with Sheikh Hasi-
na. Last year, Tehran reestab-
lished diplomatic relations with
Male after a gap of seven years.
When ties between Riyadh and
Tehran broke down in 2016, the
Maldives — which was then close-
ly aligned with Saudi Arabia —
cut off all ties with Iran, which
else to go. While the US and other western
Aviv in both Colombo and Islam-
abad, furthering not only Iran’s
global agenda but also China’s. In
Islamabad, Raisi even threatened
to destroy Israel if it did not mend
its ways. As Raisi spearheads
proud and resolute Iran’s diplo-
matic drive in south Asia and be-
yond in tandem with Supreme
Leader Ayatollah Khamenei –
who is today the most respected
figure in the entire Muslim world
— and Foreign Minister Amir Ab-
dollahian, it’s high time New Del-
hi starts rebuilding its relations
with Tehran.
In our national interest, we
must somehow insulate India-
Iran ties from our equation with
Israel and the US which has done
us no good at all.
The author is an independent,
Pegasused reporter and commentator
on foreign policy and domestic politics

T
BJP government at the Centre as the Lavalin case is yet to he course followed by parties in election powers backing Israel are losing their
see the light of day because of repeated delays by the CBI
during court appearances. The alleged quid pro quo The World TO THE EDITOR campaigns since our Independence has
been one of steady socio-political
patience, Israel is in no mood to pull back.
It is quite clear that keeping the war going
involves the Left party ensuring that the BJP opens its ac- — Dada J P Vaswani Harsh treatment divergence, when it should have been one is Benjamin Netanyahu’s preferred way to
of convergence and of a common purpose, ensure his own survival in office.

I
count in Kerala in the Lok Sabha election. Vijayan’s foreign
t is worrying to see the way trees are the very attributes with which freedom was International leaders must make it clear

A
little boy sat with his impossible to lift the baby
trip allegedly received all clearances from the Centre and parents in their cosy through the surrounding being axed in the name of trimming, wrested. The first decade saw debates on that he cannot continue to do so. Both
even bureaucrats in the state were unaware of it. The hush- home. flames, without hurting him. which is in full swing in North Mumbai social equity and growth. But the next four Israel and Hamas must take all steps
hush nature of his trip raises many questions. As the chief He said to his mother, So she beat the fire out with her (‘2nd Baobab tree axed in a week, worried were spent on the differentiation of identity necessary to establish a ceasefire
minister, he is duty bound to clarify any misgivings. “Mama, you have the kindest, own hands. Greens write to CM’, May 8). When one on every possible parameter and immediately.
prettiest face in the world! I “Her hands were badly sees these trees chopped so harshly one apportioning rights and privileges thereof. Gregory Fernandes
wish I could look at it forever!” burnt. It took months before wonders how they will survive until the In past two decades, this has further
FPJ Archives
INDIA 75 YEARS AGO As he uttered these words, they could heal. Even then, monsoon in July. This tree cutting is given
to people who are not instructed properly
degenerated into finding fault with each
other. A retrograde political class has left
II
MAY 14, 1949 his glance fell on her hands. they were left badly scarred.”
They were twisted out of shape,
badly deformed.
“Why mama!” he exclaimed.
“What a brave mother!” the
little boy exclaimed.
“Do you know who she was?”
and there is no supervision on the field.
Maya Bhatkar
the electorate, that has since acquired
education, wisdom and maturity, highly
disillusioned.
T he Gaza Strip stands as a testament to
the resilience of its people. The
conditions of their livelihood are
“Yours must be the ugliest
hands in the world! I can’t bear
the father asked. “She was
your mother! Her disfigured,
Kangana in Parliament? R Narayanan unbearable; Gazans have been enduring
hardship since before October 7, 2023. The
to look at them!”
The father took the little
scarred hands were the ones
that saved your life!” A propos the edit ‘Kangana’s WW folly’
(May 8), despite all kinds of nonsense
Israel’s Rafah offensive constant missile attacks from Israel on the
Gazan civilians have inflicted a heart-
boy on his knees.
“Let me tell you a sto-
ry,” he said gently.
The little boy turned to
his mother with tear-
touched eyes and
spewed by Kangana Ranaut, for all we
know she may well be elected to
Parliament. In the past too we have had
A propos the editorial ‘No light at the end
of tunnel in Gaza’ (May 9), Israel has
begun its Rafah offensive in southern Gaza
wrenching toll on civilian lives. It is a war
on children, a war on innocence that
should have been protected.
“Once upon a time, kissed her hands, several gems like her making laws for us. despite international opposition and US Jubel D’Cruz
there was a little baby again and again. BJP candidates have conferred divinity on reluctance. This comes a day after Hamas
who was sleep- “Mummy, the PM in the past, so it should come as no had agreed to a ceasefire proposal. A Dear reader,
ing peacefully
GUIDING LIGHT these are the surprise if Ranaut thinks the PM is a kind of massive Rafah operation will lead to more We are eager to know your opinions, comments and
suggestions. Write to editor.indore@fpj.co.in Using snail
in his cradle prettiest hands superhero who can stop wars by lifting a civilian casualties. Among the city’s mail? Send your letters to Free Press, Free Press House, 3/54,
when the cra- in the world!” finger. huddled masses are many children, all of Press Complex, AB Road, Indore 452008
dle caught he said, Anthony Henriques them with an uncertain future and nowhere
fire.” through his
MIKA’S MATRIX
“What hap-
pened to the
tears. Indeed,
there is noth- LORD GANESH
baby?” asked ing more beau- MESSAGE FOR THE DAY
the boy. tiful than a
“The nurse mother’s love! A day of shining confidently, emotional new
who was sup- beginnings, balancing things and situations.
posed to take Dada J P You will receive appreciation and fame. Stay
care of the Vaswani is a hydrated. Do not be stubborn.
baby, ran humanitarian, Pay attention to your health. Process your
away in philosopher, emotions wisely, ask for support. Some of
alarm,” the fa- educator, you will visit an astrologer, psychic or an

ALL-OUT OFFENSIVE MOUNTED IN BURMA ther contin-

ued. “But the
acclaimed writer,
powerful orator,
alternate therapist. You will be called to
counsel or act as a mediator to resolve
Rangoon, May 13. Government troops early today launched an mother saw messiah of a conflict. I loved the saffron offering.
all-out offensive to recapture Insein, Karen insurgent stronghold, the fire and ahimsa, and Tip for the day: Donate any red item like red bananas, red
ten miles north of Rangoon, a Burma Army spokesman rushed to save non-sectarian lentils to needy.
announced tonight. the baby. She found that it was spiritual leader
Lots of divine miracles your way, Sheetal Sapan Mhatre.
Nepal’s deputy PM quits in a setback for Prachanda-led government
Kathmandu: Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister and senior Madhesi
leader Upendra Yadav on Monday tendered his resignation and his
party pulled out of the government, a setback to Prime Minister
Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda-led coalition government. Yadav
submitted his resignation to PM “Prachanda” on Monday morning,
according to sources close to the Madhesi leader. Along with Yadav,
Minister of State for Forest and Environment Dipak Karki, from the
same party, has also submitted his resignation.
WORLD
INDORE | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024

GLOBAL
Bipartisan backlash to Biden’s Putin removes minister
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT STARTS HIS 5TH TERM

BULLETIN

ultimatum on Israeli offensive who led war campaign

Suspect in death of
US cop found dead
Euclid: An Ohio police officer
was shot and killed after being
“ambushed” while answering a
disturbance call over the
weekend, and a suspect was
later found dead by police,
authorities said Sunday.
Police in the Cleveland suburb of
Euclid said officers were
dispatched just before 10 pm
Saturday to a home after a
reported disturbance. The
complainant had told police that
her child’s father threatened to
harm her and her mother, Euclid
Police said in a statement Sunday
evening. After officers arrived at
the scene, the woman stated
that the suspect, identified by
police as Deshawn Vaughn, was
on foot and possibly nearby.
Officers went to check the
backyard where the suspect
opened fire on them.
Plane with 3 lands
sans landing gear
Melbourne: A light plane with
three people aboard landed
safely without landing gear
Monday after circling an
Australian airport for almost
three hours to burn off fuel.
The pilot, Peter Schott, and his
passengers, a 60-year-old man
and a 65-year-old woman,
walked unaided from the twin-
turboprop Beechcraft Super King
Air after landing at Newcastle
Airport north of Sydney, police
Superintendent Wayne
Humphrey said. Schott “made a
textbook wheels-up landing,
which I was very happy to see,”
Humphrey told reporters at the
airport.
Merkel memoirs
out late in Nov
Berlin: Former German
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s
memoirs will be released in late
November, nearly three years
after the end of her 16-year
tenure at the helm of one of
Europe’s biggest powers, her
publisher said Monday.
The roughly 700-page volume,
titled “Freiheit” (“Freedom”), will
be published on November 26,
publisher Kiepenheuer & Witsch
announced. Merkel co-wrote the
book with her longtime assistant
and adviser, Beate Baumann.
Crossword #1137
Biden withholding bombs and artillery shells deemed indiscriminate, imprecise
ANI / WASHINGTON
President Joe Biden finds
himself at the centre of bipar-
tisan criticism from Capitol
Hill regarding his recent ulti-
matum to Israel, warning of a
halt in some US weapons
shipments in response to a
potential major Israeli offen-
sive in Rafah, CNN reported.
In a televised interview
with CNN’s Erin Burnett,
Biden’s declaration drew
swift rebuke from lawmakers
across the political spectrum.
Republican Senator JD
Vance of Ohio questioned the
coherence of Biden’s ap-
proach, pointing out the con-
tradiction between express-
ing concern for Palestinian
civilian casualties and with-
holding weapons designed to
minimise such casualties.
“On the one hand, they’re
saying too many Palestinian
civilians have been killed.
Tehran open to talks
with Washington
IANS/DPA / TEHRAN
Iran has shown itself to be
open to direct talks with the
US and appears to be ready
for a change of course in its
policy towards its arch-ene-
my.
“The Americans describe
diplomacy as the best
option... We are of the same
view and are also ready to re-
turn to negotiations,” Kamal
Kharazi, foreign policy advis-
er to Iranian Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said
on Sunday, as per state news
agency ISNA.
According to Kharazi, Iran
should also be prepared to re-
sume the nuclear negotia-
tions broken off under then-
US president Donald Trump.
“Then we could also talk
about a nuclear-free region
(in the Middle East),” said
A woman knots a bag of pea stew, while others await their turn to
collect food from a public kitchen in Deir el-Balah in the central
Gaza Strip on Monday
With the other hand, they’re
depriving us of the precision-
guided weapons that actually
cut down on civilian casual-
ties,” Republican Senator JD
Vance of Ohio told CNN
though Biden specifically
mentioned withholding
bombs and artillery shells
the country’s high-ranking
adviser.
The arch-conservative
government of President
Ebrahim Raisi has until now
vehemently and consistently
rejected direct contact with
the US, which it frequently
refers to as the “Great
Satan,” since coming to pow-
er in Iran in 2021.
According to the Foreign
Ministry in Tehran, diplo-
matic contact with the US
only takes place via third
countries such as Qatar and
Oman and, in some cases, via
the European Union.
Kharazi’s statements, there-
fore, indicate a change of
course on the part of the Is-
lamic Republic.
However, official repre-
sentatives of the government
have not yet made a state-
ment.
YOUR DAY
Palestinian toll
tops 35,000
T he Palestinian death toll
from ongoing Israeli
attacks on the Gaza Strip
has exceeded 35,000,
health authorities in Gaza
said in a press statement.
During the past 24 hours,
the Israeli army killed 63
Palestinians and wounded
114 others, bringing the
total death toll to 35,034
and injuries to 78,755
since the Palestinian-Israeli
–AFP conflict broke out last
October, it said on Sunday
deemed by the administra- as quoted by Xinhua news
tion as indiscriminate and agency report.
imprecise. The statement noted that
“So if you’re worried about
Palestinian casualties, the
several victims were still
under the rubble, and
stated policy here actually ambulance and civil
doesn’t make a ton of sense,” defence crews could not
Vance said, as reported by reach them.
CNN.
GIANT UNCHAINED
Mount Ibu erupts in North Maluku of Indonesia on Monday, spew-
ing a large amount of smoke. The ash tower rose over 5km into
the sky. The authorities had raised the alert level last week. –AFP
By Vinayak Vishwas Karandikar
AGENCIES / MOSCOW
Russian President Vladimir
Putin on Sunday replaced
Sergei
Shoigu as de-
fence minis-
ter in a Cabi-
net shakeup
that comes
as he begins
his fifth term
in office.
In line with Russian law,
the entire Russian Cabinet
resigned Tuesday following
Putin’s glittering inaugura-
tion in the Kremlin, and most
members have been widely
expected to keep their jobs,
while Shoigu’s fate had ap-
peared uncertain.
Putin signed a decree on
Sunday appointing Shoigu as
secretary of Russia’s Security
Council, the Kremlin said.
The appointment was an-
nounced shortly after Putin
Britain’s most dangerous
years lie ahead: Sunak
AP / LONDON
British Prime Minister Rishi
Sunak warned of a Iran and North Korea. The
dangerous future for
the U.K. in a pitch to
voters Monday as he
fights to hang on to
power ahead of a fu-
ture national election
that could see Con-
servatives ousted af-
ter 14 years.
Sunak’s speech swung
from ominous warning to op-
timistic projections as he re-
peatedly attacked Labour
leader Keir Starmer, saying
he lacked a plan for dealing
with rogue states and har-
nessing a period of a great op-
portunity.
Sunak said his pledge to
increase military spending to
2.5% of gross domestic prod-
uct by 2030 better positions
proposed Andrei Belousov to ment building partially col-
become the country’s defence lapsed after what Russian of-
minister in place of Shoigu.
The announcement came
ficials said was Ukrainian
shelling. Ukraine hasn’t com-
as 13 people were reported
dead and 20 more wounded in
Russia’s border city of Belgo-
mented on the incident. Be-
lousov’s candidacy will need
to be approved by Russia’s
rod, where a 10-story apart- upper house in parliament.
Kyiv admits ‘successes’ of Russia
T
he Ukrainian military conceded on Monday that Russian
forces are making progress in their offensive in the north-
eastern Kharkiv region.
Moscow’s troops have been engaged in a concerted push into
the region, raising alarm among Ukrainians and their Western
allies that a large-scale assault on the major city of Kharkiv is
coming. Kharkiv city, the second-largest in Ukraine, is located
just 30 kilometres south of the Russian border.
“The enemy is currently achieving tactical success,” the
Ukrainian General Staff said in its situation report posted on
social media early Monday morning.
Following the capture of several villages in the predominantly
Russian-speaking Kharkiv region, fighting is currently
underway around the city of Vovchansk, only 5 kilometres from
the Russian border, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed
Forces said.
‘Chinese are
in the US to
build army’
his party to confront an “axis AP / NEW YORK
of authoritarian states” that
he named as Russia, China, It was 7 a.m. on a recent Fri-
day when Wang Gang, a 36-
war in Ukraine, Iran- year-old Chi-
ian proxies attacking nese immi-
ships in the Red Sea grant, jostled
and Chinese cyberat- for a day job
tacks aimed at mem-
bers of Parliament
in New York
City’s Flush-
are some of those ing neigh-
threats, he said. bourhood.
“Over the next few When a
years, from our democracy to potential employer pulled up
our society to our economy to near the street corner, Wang
the hardest questions of war and dozens of other men
and peace, almost every as- swarmed around the car.
pect of our lives is going to They were hoping to be
change,” Sunak said. “How picked for work on a construc-
we act in the face of those tion site, at a farm, as a mover
changes, not only to keep – anything that would pay.
people safe and secure but to Wang had no luck, even as
realize the opportunities too, he waited for two more
will determine whether or hours. It would be another
not Britain will succeed in day without a job since he
the years to come. crossed the southern US bor-
der illegally in February.
The daily struggle of Chi-

ARIES: Concentrate LIBRA: Today you may Fires used as weapon of war in nese immigrants in Flushing
is a far cry from the picture

Sudan destroyed or damaged 72

Across
1 Audition tape
5 Spiral lock of hair
9 Female ruff
12 Eye part
13 "Solo" anagram for a
capital city in Europe
14 Intel competitor
15 Make coins
16 Volcano near Naples
18 He fixes pipes and
taps
20 Goods vehicle
21 Consume food
22 Cunning; crafty
25 Hungarian composer
of "The Merry
Widow"
28 Charge
29 Assoc. Med. Off.
30 And others, in Latin
(2,2)
31 Mine and thine
32 Mountain system in
southern Europe
33 "And" in Hindi
34 Popular girl's name -
FPJ - SUDOKU - 29
on studies and career take a rest from your former President Donald
today. Expect daily routine work and Trump and other Republi-
expenditure on enjoy with your cans have sought to paint of
education or a vehicle today. family. Expect expenditure on
villages last month, study says
them as a coordinated group
People in fields like education and children. People in fields like art of “military-age” men who
property will benefit. A good day and entertainment will benefit. A have come to the United
to for studies and work from good day for meditation. Some AP / CAIRO States to build an “army”
home. Some of you may have people may suffer from back and attack America.
cough and cold. pain. Fires resulting from the fighting in Su- Since the start of the year,
dan destroyed or damaged 72 villages as the Chinese newcomers
TAURUS: SCORPIO: Today is a and settlements last month, a UK- adjust to life in the US,
Business deals day to study, take based rights group said Monday, high- Trump has alluded to “fight-
and meetings will rest or work at lighting the use of fire as a weapon of ing age” or “military age”
be successful. home. Expect war in the conflict in the African coun- Chinese men at least six
Expect expenditure for expenditure on house or try. times and suggested at least
communication. People in education. People in fields like Investigators from Sudan Witness, twice that they were forming
fields like communication tourism and consultancy will be an open-source project run by the non- a migrant “army.” The talk-
and publication will do benefited. You may do some profit Center for Information ing point also appears in con-
well. Travel with family is work in the house. Some may Resilience, say that more blazes than in El-Fasher saw intense fighting on servative media and on so-
indicated. You may have suffer from bronchitis or any other month since the war started Friday between the Sudanese military cial platforms.
knee, shoulder, back pain. shoulder pain. in mid-April 2023. The number also and the paramilitary RSF and their al- “They’re coming in from
GEMINI: Control SAGITTARIUS: Today brings to 201 the total number of fires in lies. At least 27 people were killed and China – 31, 32,000 over the last
your words, as is the day to Sudan since fighting broke out between dozens injured, said the United Na- few months – and they’re all
they may spoil struggle and earn. Sudan’s military and the rival paramil- tions Office for the Coordination of military age and they mostly
"Nan" anagram? 9 Monsoon showers? your image. You You can get your itary force. The analysis didn’t provide Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA. are men,” Trump said during
10 Large Australian bird may pay insurance premiums stuck money back. You may get any casualty figures from the fires. More than 800 were displaced. a campaign rally last month.
35 Incorrect or pay for tooth treatment. your insurance maturity. People In the war in Sudan, the paramili- Sudan’s military launched an “And it sounds like to me, are
36 Split 11 Walsh and O'Neill
People in fields like insurance in fields like communication tary Rapid Support Forces have often airstrike the next day that hit close to they trying to build a little
38 Evergreen tree 17 Value Added Tax, will get success. Family will get success. Take care of used fire, setting entire villages ablaze, a pediatric hospital in el-Fasher, army in our country?” Asian
39 Loire's contents abbr. members may help you in your mother’s health. Some especially in Sudan’s western Darfur killing two children and a caregiver, advocacy organisations say
19 Exclude your work. Some may suffer people may suffer from region. The war has wrecked the coun- according to Doctors Without Borders. they worry the rhetoric could
40 Mountain range in
22 Ireland's ___ Lingus from throat problem. shoulder pain. try and pushed its population to the In its analysis, the Center for Informa- encourage further harass-
Central India 23 Ballpark figures brink of famine. More than 14,000 peo- tion Resilience estimated that 31 settle- ment and violence toward
44 Repudiate; disown 24 Be vanquished CANCER: You may CAPRICORN: Today is ple have been killed and thousands ments - villages and towns - were af- the Asian community.
47 Once more 25 Be in the front face problems in the day to receive have been wounded. Hundreds of thou- fected by fires in April, with an over 50 Wang, who travelled sev-
48 Painting, sculpture, 26 Needle case career and family life. delayed payments. sands have been displaced. per cent destruction rate. eral weeks from Wuhan, Chi-
etc.? 27 Reaps Expect expenditure Expect expenditure on The Center for Information Re- “We’ve documented the patterns of na, to Ecuador, to the south-
28 Enjoyment for health or spouse. People in health. People in fields like silience said the number of fires numerous fires and the continuing ern US border, said the idea
49 It ebbs and flows fields like insurance and repairing finance will benefit. It's a day to
50 Indian wheaten flour 31 First number surged particularly in the north and devastation to settlements around that Chinese migrants were
will be benefited. Trouble in enjoy time with family. Some
51 Affirmative 32 Guru Dutt's 1954 west of el-Fasher, the capital city of western Sudan, large and small,” building a military “does not
higher education is indicated. You people may suffer from
production (3,4) may suffer from headache. toothache.
North Darfur state that faces an immi- Anouk Theunissen, Sudan Witness exist” among immigrants he
52 Arctic transport nent attack. project director, said in a news release. has met.
34 Grown-ups
53 A __ picture : an 35 Capable LEO: You will get AQUARIUS: Today is
optimistic overview? 37 Integrated Avionics returns on your a day for travel and
Down
Comp.
38 Distinguished,
investments. Delayed
payments will be
investment. Expect
expenditure on Australian judge lifts court ban on X
showing video of Sydney church stabbing
1 Ditch or discard famous recovered. Expect expenditure on medical treatment. People in
2 Very wicked 40 Faction business or career. People in fields fields like medicine and
3 Carte du jour 41 Biblical word like finance and human resources tourism will be benefited.
will benefit. Family life may get Family life may be disturbed
4 Porridge ingredient 42 Exposes flax or hemp AP / MELBOURNE stabbed. Musk has argued that he after reading Kennett’s reasons
5 Greedily desire or to moisture? disturbed due to workload. Some because of illness. Some
people may suffer from people may suffer from throat is standing up for a freedom of for removing his order that re-
hanker for 43 Not at home An Australian judge Monday lifted speech principle. Australian law- quired X to hide the video from
6 Junkie constipation. or eye problem.
44 24 hours a ban on the social media platform makers have accused him of arro- users. “There’s a fundamental
7 Literary initials 45 Anger VIRGO: Economic PISCES: Today is X showing Australians a video of a gance and of lacking a sense of so- principle at stake and that is, if
8 Paris art museum 46 Be unwell growth is indicated. the day for bishop being stabbed in a Sydney cial responsibility. you’re a company or anybody op-
Stuck money may be celebrations and church. “Not trying to win anything. I erating in Australia, then you’ve
Level: Very Hard recovered. Expect travel. Expect The temporary ban was put in just don’t think we should be sup- got to abide by Australian laws,”
expenditure on entertainment. expenditure on a party. place April 22, but the judge reject- pressing Australian’s rights to free Jones said.
People in fields like law and People in fields like sports ed the application from Australia’s speech,” Musk posted on X after the He also said the government sup-
entertainment will do well. and travel will have success. eSafety Commission to extend the ruling. ported Inman Grant’s stance on the
Dispute with spouse or children Long duration travels may court order that would have ex- X is also taking a separate court video. “She made the right decision
is indicated. Some of you may be planned. Some people pired Monday. action against eSafety Commis- in our view to ensure that that dan-
suffer from back pain or may suffer from low mood, Australian Federal Court sioner Julie Inman Grant, a former gerous, violent, harmful material
constipation. asthma or bronchitis. Justice Geoffrey Kennett said he Twitter employee, that challenges wasn’t being propagated online
would publish his reasons for im- the validity of her notice requiring and encouraging and inciting that
WHAT TO DO: Fill in the Solution posing and lifting the order later. the platform to remove video of the sort of behavior here in Australia,”
grid so that every row, every 43 Away, 44 Day, 45 Ire, 46 Ail. The decision was a win for the April 15 attack in an Assyrian Or- Jones told Australian
column and every 3x3 box 28 Fun, 31 One, 32 Aar Paar, 34 Adults, 35 Fit, 37 IAC, 38 Famed, 40 Side, 41 Unto, 42 Rets,
10 Emu, 11 Eds, 17 VAT, 19 Bar, 22 Aer, 23 Umps, 24 Lose, 25 Lead, 26 Etui, 27 Harvests, company rebranded by billionaire thodox church. The judge is expect- Broadcasting Corp.
contains the digits 1 to 9. Down: 1 Dump, 2 Evil, 3 Menu, 4 Oatmeal, 5 Covet, 6 User, 7 RLS, 8 Louvre, 9 Rainfall, Elon Musk when he bought ed to consider setting a hearing A 16-year-old boy was charged
Every puzzle has only one 51 Yes, 52 Sled, 53 Rosy. Twitter last year. X was alone date Wednesday. with terrorism-related offenses in
35 False, 36 Divide, 38 Fir, 39 Eau, 40 Satpura, 44 Disclaim, 47 Anew, 48 Art, 49 Tide, 50 Atta, among social media platforms in Assistant Treasurer Stephen the stabbings of the bishop and a
correct solution. 20 Van, 21 Eat, 22 Artful, 25 Lehar, 28 Fee, 29 AMO, 30 Et al, 31 Our, 32 Alps, 33 Aur, 34 Ann,
refusing to remove video of Bishop Jones said the government might priest who were injured in the at-
Across: 1 Demo, 5 Curl, 9 Ree, 12 Uvea, 13 Oslo, 14 AMD, 15 Mint, 16 Vesuvius, 18 Plumber,
Mar Mari Emmanuel being consider changing Australian law tack.
 ‘Apple deepening its India ecosystem with building network of local vendors’

MONEY
MARKET WATCH
SENSEX 72,776.13 s 111.66 Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, on Monday, said that lowering its dependence on China. In a boost to the 'Make in
NIFTY 22,104.05 s 48.85 with the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme now well in India' initiative as well as ramping up exports from the
USD/INR 83.52 t 0.01 place, global tech giants like Apple are deepening their country to the world, companies like Apple are strengthening
GOLD 73,150.00 t 100.00 ecosystems by building a network of local vendors, thus their supply chains, thus creating lakhs of jobs. INDORE | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024
SILVER 85,200.00 t 300.00

BIZ BULLETIN
Stock mkts rebound on last-hr buying
INDIA'S DEBT

CAI maintains output GDP ratio is

estimate at 31 mn bales
The Cotton Association of India has
retained its projection for the country's
cotton output in 2023-24 (Oct-Sep) at 31
mln bales (1 bale = 170 kg), according to
a release. The association updates its
estimates almost every month, based on
information received from its members in
11 cotton-growing states and other trade
sources. The total cotton supply till the
end of April is estimated at 31.6 mln
bales, the press release said.
Over 100 mn Indians can
get gigabit connectivity
As India continues to build a robust and
resilient core digital infrastructure, the
country can achieve gigabit connectivity
to all households or at least 100-110
million households by 2030, industry
experts have said. While India is the
leader when it comes to data
consumption on mobile broadband and is
the fastest-growing mobile broadband
market in the world, the country still lags
in fixed or wired broadband as compared
to developed nations.
Imports from FTA nations
Helped by buying at fag-end, Sensex closed higher by 111.66 pts at 72,776.13, while Nifty rose by 48.85 pts to 22,104.05
PTI / Mumbai
Benchmark Sensex and Nifty staged a dramatic rebound
on Monday to settle higher following buying in HDFC
Bank, ICICI Bank and Tata Consultancy Services.
Helped by buying at the fag-end, the 30-share BSE Sen-
sex closed higher by 111.66 points or 0.15 per cent at
72,776.13. The index opened lower and plummetted fur-
ther 798.46 points or 1.09 per cent to hit a low of 71,866.01
in day trade.
The NSE Nifty rose by 48.85 points or 0.22 per cent to
22,104.05. The 50-issue rebounded around 310 points from
the day's low of 21,821.05 and hit a high of 22,131.65.
From the Sensex basket, Asian Paints, Sun Pharma,
HDFC Bank, Tata Consultancy Services, Axis Bank,
Tata Steel, JSW Steel, Larsen & Toubro, ICICI Bank and
Power Grid were the major gainers.
Tata Motors dropped over 8 per cent despite reporting
over three-fold jump in consolidated net profit at Rs
17,528.59 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31,
2024.
NTPC, Bharti Airtel, Titan, State Bank of India and
Nestle were the other major laggards.
Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Serv-
ices said, "Though the market reversed from the day's
low and ended up with a marginal gain, investors remain
concerned over the progressing general election and
high valuation." An absence of major positive triggers
and the flight of FIIs from the domestic market will keep
the short-term trend weak, Nair added.
"The week kicked off with market volatility, but by the
end, it managed to eke out marginal gains. Initially bear-
ish sentiments gave way to a recovery, particularly
among key heavyweights, which not only erased losses
but also propelled the index to close near the day's peak,"
said Ajit Mishra - SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd.
Experts said that market volatility was high amid the
much lower
Sensex to become less volatile after than US, Japan,
every election phase: EAM
As more election rounds get completed in the seven-phase
France, UK: FM
Lok Sabha election, the Indian markets will become less
and less volatile, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S.
Jaishankar said in Mumbai on Monday. Addressing the
National Stock Exchange (NSE) seminar on 'Indian Capital
Markets: Road Map For Viksit Bharat', the minister said
that investors are waiting for the June 4 results and then
will take a call. EAM Jaishankar said that when the
elections are going on, "people may debate on the exact
election numbers". "I'm very sure as round after round, the
markets will be less and less volatile," said the minister.
ongoing Lok Sabha polls. As many as 96 seats went to IANS / New Delhi
polls in the fourth phase of elections on Monday.
"VIX's rise from record lows to above 20 now, has un- Finance Minister Nirmala Sithar-
folded in just a fortnight's time. So, while recent history man said on Monday that India has
points to more room for upside in VIX and thereby fared relatively well compared with
volatility, the abruptness in the rate of change of VIX, other countries as far as the govern-
may lead to a cool off, perhaps even before the electoral ment debt to GDP ratio is concerned
results," Anand James, Chief Market Strategist, Geojit and the country is the third least in-
Financial Services said. debted nation among low- and mid-
In the broader market, the BSE midcap gauge climbed dle-income countries (LMIC).
0.36 per cent while smallcap index dipped 0.23 per cent. India had a debt-to-GDP ratio of 81
per cent in 2022. This is significantly
lower than economies like Japan

India’s CPI inflation eases to

up 38% during 2019-24 GRANT THORNTON'S 'BHARAT DEALTRACKER' REPORT (260.1%), Italy (140.5%), the USA
India's imports of goods from countries (121.3%), France (111.8%), and the UK
with which it has a free trade agreement
Deal activity declines 60% in Apr to (101.9%) in the same period. On the

11-month low of 4.83% in April

like the UAE, South Korea, and Australia
grew about 38 per cent during 2019-24
fiscal years to USD 187.92 billion,
according to think tank GTRI. On the other
hand, the country's exports to the FTA
(free trade agreement) partners rose 14.48
per cent to USD 122.72 billion in 2023-24
from USD 107.20 billion in 2018-19.
Nalanda Cap sells 1.4%
stake in Great Eastern
Investment firm Nalanda Capital on
Monday divested a 1.4 per cent stake in
Great Eastern Shipping Co Ltd for Rs 190
crore through an open market transaction.
Singapore-based Nalanda Capital through
its arm Nalanda India Equity Fund Ltd sold
shares of Great Eastern Shipping Co Ltd
through a bulk deal on the BSE. As per
the data, Nalanda India Equity Fund
offloaded 20 lakh shares, amounting to a
1.4 per cent stake in Great Eastern
Shipping Co Ltd.
Rulka Electricals IPO
$5.19 bn despite more transactions
PTI / Mumbai
The overall deal activity by value
declined by a sharp 60 per cent to
USD 5.192 billion in April as com-
pared to the preceding March's
USD 12.934 billion, a report said
on Monday.
This was despite a 24 per cent
increase in the number of deals at
176 during the month, the report
by a consultancy firm said.
The highest decline by value
was in the merger and acquisi-
tions transactions, which came
down 75 per cent to USD 2.526 bil-
lion when compared with USD
10.212 billion in March, while the
private equity transactions by
value were marginally down at
USD 2.666 billion, the report by
Grant Thornton Bharat said.
Within the broader M&A, the
decline was sharpest in outbound
deals that plummeted to USD 24
million as against USD 9.072 bil-
lion a month ago, it said.
The Adani group's 8 per cent
stake increase in Ambuja Cement
and ACC for a cumulative USD 1.8
billion in two transactions was
the highest M&A activity of the
month, it said.
"The deal outlook for 2024 con-
tinues to remain positive as India
stands at the cusp of a new era of
growth and investment
supported by a growing
consumer market, a flourishing
tech start-up ecosystem, and sup-
portive government policies," its
partner Shanthi Vijetha said.
IANS / New Delhi
India's consumer price inflation
eased to an 11-month low of 4.83 per
cent in April, bringing more relief to
household budgets, figures released
by the Ministry of Statistics showed
on Monday.
"Among the top five groups, the
year-on-year inflation on 'Clothing &
Footwear', 'Housing', and 'Fuel &
light' has decreased since last month,"
the official data showed.
Retail inflation has now fallen clos-
er to the RBI's mid-term target of 4 per
cent after which the central bank
would be in a position to cut key in-
terest rates to make loans available at
lower rates of interest to corporates
and consumers to spur demand and
accelerate economic growth.
other hand, several countries have
faced the risk of sovereign default in
recent years. The number of coun-
tries facing high debt levels increased
The country's CPI inflation has from 22 in 2011 to almost 60 in 2022,
been showing a declining trend in re- she said.
cent months as it fell to 4.85 per cent in The Finance Minister said that in
March from 5.09 per cent in February, a comparative analysis with other
and 5.1 per cent in January this year. LMICs, India's external debt scenario
The declining trend in cooking oil
prices continued in April with a 9.43
is robust. Considering the ratio of to-
tal external debt to Gross National In-
per cent fall during the month. The come, India emerges as the 3rd least
price rise in spices slowed to 11.4 per indebted country among all LMICs.
cent in March from 13.28 per cent in This is a vital indicator of a country's
February. The inflation in pulses also ability to handle its external debt.
slowed 7.75 per cent during the month The ratio of India's total external debt
under review compared to 17.71 per to its exports is 91.9%, positioning it
cent in March. as the fifth least indebted country
However, the data show that veg- among LMICs in this aspect. India's
etable prices shot up by as much as share of short-term debt in the total
27.8 per cent in April, which remains external debt is 18.7%. This is lower
a pain point for the consumers. The than that of other LMICs like China,
prices of cereals also increased by 8.63 Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, South
per cent during the month under re- Africa, and Bangladesh, which have
view. higher percentages, she added.

Fitch says risk profile key for

to open on May 16
Integrated electrical services company
Rulka Electricals on Monday announced
that its initial public offering will hit the
markets on Thursday to raise over Rs 26
crore. The Mumbai-headquartered
company has fixed the price band for the
issue at Rs 223-235 per share. The initial
public offering (IPO) of Rulka Electricals
Ltd (REL) will open on May 16 and
conclude on May 21. The shares of the
firm will be listed on the NSE's SME
platform Emerge, the company said in a
statement.
Airtel, Google Cloud to
deploy GenAI solutions
Bharti Airtel and Google Cloud on Monday
entered into a long-term partnership to
accelerate cloud adoption and deploy
generative artificial intelligence (GenAI)
solutions in India. This alliance will
provide Airtel customers with a suite of
cutting-edge cloud solutions from Google
Cloud, accelerating cloud adoption and
modernisation. Both companies will create
industry-leading AI/ML solutions, which
Airtel will train on its extensive data set.
Indegene shares rally
viability ratings of Indian bks
INFORMIST / Mumbai
Risk appetite through higher
loan growth will remain a key
consideration for Indian banks'
intrinsic creditworthiness de-
spite an improved financial per-
formance, Fitch ratings said on
Monday.
"Sustainable risk-adjusted re-
turns are also important, as past
volatility weighed heavily on
banks' performance in a weaker
operating environment," the
global rating agency said. Asset
quality pressures on Indian
banks from the previous credit
cycle were subsiding, creating a
favourable business environ-
ment, and this has bolstered
banks' potential and appetite for
growth, it said.
The loan books of Indian
banks grew 16% in the financial
year ended March, exceeding the
8% compound annual growth
rate over 2014-15 to 2021-22. Fitch
said Indian banks' retail loans
constitute around 10% of system
loans, and these grew at a 20%
compound annual rate since
2020-21, fuelled by a shift towards
unsecured credit to expand mar-
gins.
"Retail asset quality has held
up with an impaired loan ratio of
1.3% in 1HFY24(Apr-Sep), but ac-
cumulation of untested risks due
to rapid growth may challenge
banks' underwriting standards
and risk controls," Fitch said.
Indian banks' interest in small
and medium enterprises and
farm loans was also rising, with
state-owned banks having limit-
ed flexibility to avoid these sec-
tors due to their quasi-policy
roles, it said, adding that the ap-
petite was also driven by high
yields.
"Banks often rely on govern-
ment guarantees to mitigate risk
in SME loans, but there is room
for better visibility on risks cov-
ered by these guarantees," Fitch
said.
The rating agency said the Re-
serve Bank of India's recent
measures had reinforced safe-
guards in the banking industry,
including improvement in gov-
ernance, risk management, and
reporting.
EPFO settles 4.45 cr
claims in FY24
PTI / New Delhi
Retirement fund body EPFO has set-
tled 4.45 crore claims during 2023-24,
with 2.84 crore of these being ad-
vance claims (for withdrawal of
funds). To facilitate 'ease of living',
the auto claim solution has been ex-
tended for all claims under para 68K
-- education & marriage purpose --
and 68B -- housing purpose -- of EPF
Scheme, 1952, a labour ministry
statement said.
In addition, it stated that the limit
has been doubled from earlier Rs
50,000 to Rs 1,00,000. This move is ex-
pected to benefit lakhs of EPFO (Em-
ployees' Provident Fund Organisa-
tion) members.
According to the statement, dur-
ing the financial year 2023-24, the
EPFO settled around 4.45 crore
claims, of which more than 60 per
cent (2.84 crore) claims were ad-
vance claims (for withdrawal of
funds on grounds like illness, mar-
riage, education).
MF investments logs growth
in Northeastern states: Icra
IANS / Chennai
The Average Net Assets Under
Management (AAUM) of the
Northeastern states grew by
nearly 145 per cent from 2020 to
touch Rs 40,324 crore in March
2024, up from Rs 16,446 crore in
March 2020, said ICRA Analytics.
According to ICRA Analytics,
the AAUM growth indicates a
growing appetite among in-
vestors from smaller towns and
cities to invest in mutual funds.
"The share of the northeastern
states increased to 0.73 per cent of
the total AAUM of the mutual
fund industry, which stood at Rs
55.01 lakh crore in March 2024, up
from around 0.67 per cent in
March 2020, when the industry's
AAUM stood at Rs 24.71 lakh
crore," ICRA Analytics said.
Though the contribution of
these states to the total AAUM of
the industry is still small in per-
The AAUM of the
Northeastern states
grew by nearly 145%
from 2020 to touch
`40,324 cr in March 2024
centage terms, there has been a
steady and consistent growth in
mutual fund inflows in these
states backed by increasing
awareness among the people and
the growing interest among retail
investors for investing in equities
through the mutual fund route,
said Ashwini Kumar, Senior
Vice President and Head of Mar-
ket Data, ICRA Analytics.
Among the eight northeast-
ern states, Assam was the lead-
ing contributor with an AAUM
of Rs 29,268 crore, accounting
for nearly 73 per cent of the total
AAUM of Rs 40,234 crore in
March 2024.

over 26% in debut trade

Shares of healthcare tech firm Indegene
Ltd on Monday ended with a premium of
over 26 per cent against the issue price of
Rs 452. The stock listed at Rs 659.70, up
45.95 per cent from the issue price on the
BSE. It later ended at Rs 570.65, rallying
26.25 per cent. On the NSE, it started the
trade at Rs 655, registering a gain of
44.91 per cent. The stock ended at Rs
569.50, up 25.99 per cent. The company's
market valuation stood at Rs 13,614.40
crore.
Toyota captures top spot
in H2 car sales in Q1
South Korea's top automaker Hyundai
Motor has slipped to second place in
global hydrogen vehicle sales in the first
quarter (Q1), data showed on Monday.
The automaker sold 691 hydrogen fuel-
cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) in global
markets during the January-March period,
recording a 66.2 per cent year-on-year
drop, according to auto and energy
industry tracker SNE Research.
TASVA unveils its first
mall store in Mumbai
Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd in
collaboration with celebrated designer
Tarun Tahiliani, announced the launch of
Tasva’s first Mall store in Mumbai. The
store was inaugurated by Ananya Panday
in the presence of the couturier, Tarun
Tahiliani. Located at Oberoi Mall, the store
spans 1746 sq ft and offers a luxurious
shopping experience.
Wardwizard's 2-wheeler
sales double in April
Wardwizard Innovations & Mobility Ltd on
Monday reported over two-fold jump in its
electric two-wheeler sales in April 2024 at
1,071 units. The company, which
manufactures electric vehicles under the
'Joy e-bike' and 'Joy e-rik' brands, had sold
455 units of electric two-wheelers in April
2023, Wardwizard Innovations said in a
statement. —Agencies
SEBI SAYS
Certification must for AIF
manager's investment team
PTI / New Delhi
Capital markets regu-
lator Sebi has amend-
ed rules making it
mandatory for at least
one key personnel
within an investment team of an
Alternative Investment Fund
(AIF) manager to obtain requisite
certification.
The new requirement is aimed
at boosting competency and pro-
fessionalism in the AIF space.
In a notification dated May 10,
Sebi said, "At least one key per-
sonnel, amongst the associated
persons functioning in the key in-
vestment team of the Manager of
an Alternative Investment Fund,
shall obtain certification from the
National Institute of Securities
RODTEP SCHEME
Govt working to help exporters deal with countervailing duty cases
PTI / New Delhi
The government is working on a
verification system to help ex-
porters deal with countervailing
duty cases on domestic products
over the RODTEP scheme, an offi-
cial said.
The exercise is important as
countervailing or anti-subsidy du-
ties were imposed on certain do-
mestic units by the US and Euro-
pean Union (EU).
The products which were inves-
tigated by these countries involved
reimbursement of levies like elec-
Market (NISM) by
passing the NISM Se-
ries-XIX-C."
To give this effect,
the Securities and Ex-
change Board of India
(Sebi) has amended
AIF rules.
The new rules have been made
applicable from the same date.
Through this requirement of cer-
tification for key personnel, the
capital markets regulator is look-
ing to ensure a higher proficiency
in managing AIFs. Last month,
Sebi announced that certain
changes in the private placement
memorandum of AIFs can be sub-
mitted directly to the regulator
rather than through a merchant
banker in a bid to facilitate ease
of doing business.
tricity duty, VAT on fuel or APMC
taxes under the Scheme for Remis-
sion of Duties and Taxes on Ex-
ported Products (RoDTEP).
The scheme is a WTO (World
Trade Organisation) compliant
measure.
The official explained that the
duties have been imposed on cer-
tain units only and that too be-
cause they could not produce the
right documents to the investiga-
tion authorities.
The commerce ministry is help-
ing Indian exporters to keep
proper documentation to deal with
Govt plans to make anti-fake review
rules mandatory for e-commerce firms
PTI / New Delhi
The government is considering to
make it mandatory for e-com-
merce companies to comply with
quality norms for consumer re-
views after a voluntary push
failed to effectively curb fake re-
views, a top official said on Mon-
day. The government issued the
new quality norms for e-tailers a
year ago, prohibiting them from
publishing paid reviews and de-
manding disclosure of such pro-
motional content.
But fake reviews of products
and services on e-commerce plat-
forms are still slipping through,
said Nidhi Khare, Secretary at the
Consumer Affairs Ministry.
"It's been more than one year
that the voluntary standard on
'online reviews' was notified.
Some entities claim that they are
these cases.
“We will be giving guidance
notes from DGTR (directorate gen-
eral of trade remedies) to units so
that whenever an investigation
happens, they should be in a posi-
tion to give the proper documents,"
complying with it. However, fake
reviews are still getting pub-
lished," Khare told PTI.
"To safeguard the consumer in-
terest, now we want to make these
standards mandatory," she said,
adding that the ministry has
scheduled a meeting with e-com-
merce firms and consumer organ-
isations on May 15 to discuss the
proposed move.
The ministry's Bureau of
Indian Standards (BIS) that for-
mulated and issued the new stan-
the official said.
Besides checking the
documents of units, investigation
authorities also look at the official
verification mechanism to ascer-
tain whether the government is
randomly checking the incidence
of duties or not.
On the government side, the of-
ficial said, "We are trying to put up
a joint verification mechanism of
DGFT (Directorate General of For-
eign Trade), DGTR and DoR (De-
partment of Revenue), where offi-
cials would randomly verify cer-
tain units on the issue and keep
The govt issued the new
quality norms for e-tailers
a yr ago, prohibiting them
from publishing paid reviews
and demanding disclosure
of such promotional content
dard for "Online Consumer Re-
views" in November 2022, barred
publishing of reviews "purchased
and/or written by individuals em-
ployed for that purpose by the sup-
plier or third party concerned".
With no chance to physically
inspect products, consumers
heavily rely on online reviews
while making purchases. Mis-
leading reviews and ratings can
lead them to purchase goods
or services based on incorrect
information.
record".
The system would help to verify
the claims which a unit is availing
under the RodTEP scheme. "Sup-
pose we are giving RodTEP reim-
bursement of 1.7 per cent, then I
need to convince myself from time
to time that the unit's actual inci-
dence of duties is not below 1.7 per
cent," the official explained.
"So we will be setting up this
verification system. We will keep
the records to show that we also
have an official verification to
check the incidence of duty," the
official added.
Gilts surge;
traders punt on
lower-than-view
of CPI in April
INFORMIST / Mumbai
Government bond prices ended high-
er as traders purchased bonds betting
that India's CPI data for April would
be lower than expected, dealers said.
Volumes were concentrated in the 10-
year papers, they said. The CPI data,
released at 1730 IST after the markets
had closed, came in as per expecta-
tions, with the country's CPI inflation
for April moderating to an 11-month
low of 4.83%, from 4.85% in March.
An Informist poll of 23 economists
had predicted CPI inflation at 4.80%
in April.
The 10-year benchmark 7.18%,
2033 bond ended at 100.42 rupees, or
7.12% yield, against 100.34 rupees, or
7.13% yield on Friday. The 7.10%,
2034 bond closed at 100.21 rupees, or
7.07% yield, compared with 100.14 ru-
pees, or 7.08% yield, on the previous
day.
In the early part of the day, the
market, which was almost steady in
initial trade, started to gain momen-
tum as traders started to bet on the
CPI data being lower than expected,
dealers said. Those betting on lower
inflation expected India's CPI data for
April to come near 4.50-4.60%, dealers
said.
 MONEY INDORE | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024

BIZ BULLETIN
KPI Green Energy board Shriram Fin to sell its hsg fin arm Self-repairing technology
to reshape Indian highways
to Warburg Pincus for `4,630 cr
OKs plan to raise `1K cr
KPI Green Energy on Monday said its
board has approved a proposal to raise BY TEJI MANDI
up to Rs 1,000 crore through issuance of

shares via qualified institutional
placement. This is subject to approval
from shareholders, according to a
regulatory filing. The board has
approved the "raising of funds through
the issuance of equity shares or any
other equity-linked securities or other
securities convertible into or
exchangeable for shares by way of QIPs
(including one or more qualified
institutional placements in tranches) in
one or more of the tranches for an
aggregate amount up to Rs 1,000 crore."
Varun Beverages Q1 PAT
rises 25% to `547.98 cr
Varun Beverages Ltd, a franchise partner
of PepsiCo, on Monday reported a 25
per cent rise in consolidated profit after
tax at Rs 547.98 crore in the first quarter
ended March 2024. The company, which
follows a calendar year (January-
December) of reporting, had posted
consolidated profit after tax (PAT) of Rs
438.57 crore in the same quarter last
year, Varun Beverages said in a
regulatory filing. Consolidated revenue
from operations in the first quarter stood
at Rs 4,397.98 crore as against Rs
3,952.59 crore in the year-ago period, it
added.
Karur Vysya Bank PAT
rises 35% to `456 cr in Q4
Private sector lender Karur Vysya Bank
on Monday reported a 35 per cent rise
in net profit to Rs 456 crore in the March
quarter. The Tamil Nadu-based bank
had earned a net profit of Rs 338 crore
in the year- ago period. The total
income increased to Rs 2,813 crore
during the quarter under review, as
against Rs 2,169 crore in the
corresponding period a year ago, the
bank said in a regulatory filing.
I-T dept rolls out new
functionality in AIS
The income tax department on Monday
said it has rolled out a new functionality
in the Annual Information Statement
(AIS) through which taxpayers will be
able to view the status of information
confirmation process. AIS is populated
based on the financial data received
from multiple information sources and
provides details of a large number of
financial transactions undertaken by the
taxpayer that may have tax implications.
In AIS, a taxpayer has been provided
with a functionality to furnish feedback
on every transaction displayed therein.
PTI / New Delhi
Financial services firm Shriram Finance on
Monday said it has approved the sale of its
housing finance subsidiary to the US-based
private equity firm Warburg Pincus for a con-
sideration of Rs 4,630 crore.
Shriram Housing Finance Limited (SHFL)
would be acquired by Warburg Pincus
through its affiliate Mango Crest Investment
Ltd from all the sellers.
"The proposed transaction is valued at Rs
4,630 crore for equity and convertible instru-
ments of SHFL," Shriram Finance said in a
regulatory filing.
The proposed transaction would be subject
to receipt of applicable approvals from regu-
latory authorities and fulfilment of other cus-
tomary conditions, it said.
As per reasonable estimates, it said the ex-
pected time of completion of the transaction
is February 7, 2025.
"Shriram Finance holds a controlling stake
in SHFL while private equity firm Valiant
Aditya Birla Cap
Q4 profit doubles
to `1,245 crore
PTI / New Delhi
Aditya Birla Capital on Monday
reported a two-fold rise in profit
to Rs 1,245 crore on a consolidated
basis for the fourth quarter ended
March 2024.
The company posted a net prof-
it of Rs 609 crore in the same peri-
od a year ago.
The consolidated profit after
tax, excluding one-off items (sale
of shares in AMC through OFS in
Q4 FY24), grew 33 per cent to Rs
812 crore in the quarter, it said.
The total consolidated income
of the company grew to Rs 10,964
crore in the quarter from Rs 8,052
crore a year ago, Aditya Birla
Capital Ltd (ABCL) said in a reg-
ulatory filing.
The company is present in
non-banking finance (NBFC)
business, housing finance, asset
management, and life and gener-
al insurance, among others.
ABCL is the holding company
for the financial services busi-
nesses of Aditya Birla Group.
The total assets under manage-
ment rose 21 per cent to Rs
4,36,442 crore, it said.
Partners L.P. (Valiant), Mauritius, holds the
remaining ownership. As a part of this trans-
action, Valiant will also completely divest its
equity stake to Warburg Pincus," it said.
Shriram Finance is one of India's leading
NBFCs, serving over 84 lakh customers
across India offering commercial vehicle
loans, two-wheeler loans, and MSME financ-
ing.
Zomato posts Q4 consol PAT at `175 cr
PTI / New Delhi
Online food delivery firm Zomato
Ltd on Monday reported a consol-
idated net profit of Rs 175 crore in
the March quarter on the back of
higher revenue.
The company had posted a
consolidated net loss of Rs 188
crore in the same quarter last fis-
cal, Zomato Ltd said in a regula-
tory filing.
Consolidated revenue from op-
erations stood at Rs 3,562 crore. It
was Rs 2,056 crore in the year-ago
period, it added.
Total expenses were at Rs 3,636
crore. The company posted its to-
tal expenses at Rs 2,431 crore in
the corresponding period a year
ago, it said.
For the fiscal ended on March
Jindal Steel and Power Q4
PAT doubles to `933 crore
SHFL a leading player in the affordable
housing segment, has built a strong growth
trajectory, playing a transformational role in
the housing financing industry, it said,
adding, the company has been reporting a ro-
bust Asset Under Management growth rate of
56 per cent Compound annual growth rate, or
CAGR over the last 4-year period.
This transaction marks a significant strate-
gic milestone in the journey of Shriram Hous-
ing Finance underscoring the exceptional
value it has created, it said.
Following the conclusion of this transac-
tion, it said, Shriram Housing Finance Limit-
ed will operate as a standalone entity, contin-
uing to enhance value for its stakeholders as
it preserves its heritage and mission to pro-
vide housing finance solutions to the under-
served population of the country.
Shriram Finance MD & CEO Y S
Chakravarti said, "We believe that this trans-
action is in the best interest of SHFL share-
holders towards greater value generation and
comes at an opportune time for us as well."
Zomato to surrender
RBI licence
Zomato on Monday said its
subsidiary Zomato Payment Pvt
Ltd (ZPPL) has decided to
voluntarily surrender the
certificate of authorisation it
obtained from the Reserve
Bank to operate as an online
payment aggregator. "At
Zomato, we do not see
ourselves having a significant
31, 2024, the consolidated net prof- competitive advantage against
it was Rs 351 crore. It had posted the incumbents in the
a consolidated net loss of Rs 971 payments space and hence we
crore in the previous fiscal ended don't foresee a business in
on March 31, 2023, the filing said.
In FY24, consolidated revenue
payments space as
commercially viable for us, at
from operations stood at Rs 12,114 this stage," Zomato said in a
crore. It was at Rs 7,079 crore. regulatory filing.
DLF's Q4 profit
up 62% to `921 cr
PTI / New Delhi
For the full FY24, the company India's largest realty firm DLF
reported a PAT of Rs 5,943 crore, Ltd on Monday reported a 62 per
almost double of Rs 3,193 crore in cent increase in its consolidated
FY23. net profit to Rs 920.71 crore in the
During the said quarter, the quarter ended March on higher
company produced 2.05 million income and announced the
tonne (MT) and sold 2.01 MT of launch of multiple housing proj-
O
Indian roads, especially the
national highways, have long
grappled with the issue of
potholes. These potholes not only
damage vehicles but also become a
cause of accidents. But here's some
good news! The Indian government
is on the path to finding a solution
to this problem of potholes. In the
coming times, you might see roads
that can repair themselves!
Let's see how this will work.
What's Happening?
Potholes on roads have become a
headache for India because they
not only cause delays in everyday
travel but also result in thousands
of lives lost every year. Looking at
the figures, in just 2022 alone,
nearly 4,446 accidents occurred due
to these potholes. To address this
issue, the National Highways
Authority of India (NHAI) is
considering adopting the 'Self-
Healing Roads' technology.
Interestingly, the concept of self-
healing roads was pioneered by a
scientist from the Netherlands Erik
Schlangen about a decade ago.
What is Self-Healing
Roads Technology?
This is a road construction
technology where the road is
capable of filling its small potholes
on its own. It involves a mix of steel
fibres and special bitumen in the
asphalt. Whenever there's a crack or
a small pothole on the road, this
special bitumen heats up and fills
the gap.
NHAI's Potential Plan
The National Highways Authority of
India (NHAI) is planning to adopt
this technology. It could be tested in
some areas soon. If the tests are
successful, this technology could be
Teji Mandi (TM Investment Technologies Pvt Ltd) is a SEBI registered Research
Analyst (RA). Information in this article should not be construed as
investment advice. Please visit www.tejimandi.com to know more.
Exim Bank's FY24 net profit
jumps 62% to `2,518 crore
$450 million exposure to Maldives performing
PTI / Mumbai
Export-Import Bank of India on
Monday reported 62 per cent
jump in FY24 net profit at Rs 2,518
used across the country in the
future. This not only saves time and
money on road maintenance but
also ensures safer and smoother
journeys.
What's in it for Investors?
In March 2024, Prime Minister Modi
inaugurated 112 National Highway
projects in various states. The cost
for this is approximately 12.04
billion USD (Rs 1 lakh crore). Along
with this, the adoption of
technologies like self-healing roads
is expected to accelerate the growth
of this sector. If we talk about the
companies listed on the Indian
stock exchange operating in this
sector, it includes IRB Infrastructure,
G R Infraprojects, PNC Infratech,
Dilip Buildcon, Ashoka Buildcon,
and Bharat Road Network Limited.
What’s Next?
If self-maintenance roads prove
successful, it will be a revolutionary
change for Indian roads. Not only
will the problem of potholes be
eliminated, but road maintenance
will also become easier. In the
future, this technology could further
develop, making this sector
attractive to investors. According to
IBEF, India has the world's second-
largest road network, spanning
approximately 6.7 million
kilometres. Additionally, the Indian
government has allocated Rs 111
lakh crore (1.4 trillion USD) for the
National Infrastructure Pipeline for
FY25. There is an expectation of
18% capital expenditure in the road
sector for FY25.

UPL posts 95% fall in steel. In the same period a year

ago, it had produced 2.02 MT and
sold 2.03 MT of steel.
ects next fiscal with an estimated
revenue potential of Rs 36,000
crore.
crore, primarily helped by a
sharp improvement in the asset
quality. In FY23, profit stood at Rs

profit to `40 crore in Q4 PTI / New Delhi

Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSP)

PTI / Mumbai
Agrochemicals major UPL Ltd on
Monday reported a steep 95 per cent
decline in net profit to Rs 40 crore in
the March quarter. The company
had posted a net profit of Rs 792 crore
in the year-ago period.
Revenue during the quarter
under review was Rs 14,078 crore, a
drop of 15 per cent from Rs 16,569
crore achieved in the fourth quarter
of FY23, the company said.
The drop in revenue was primari-
ly due to lower prices in the post-
patent market while volumes were
largely in line with LY, UPL Ltd said.
EBITDA in the March quarter
stood at Rs 1,933 crore as against Rs
3,033 crore in the corresponding
quarter a year ago, while Ebitda
margin stood at 29.4 per cent during
the reporting quarter from 34.4 per
cent in Q4FY23, it said. The company
also said it is looking to come out a
rights issue around the end of the
second quarter and beginning of Oc-
tober quarter for which it has al-
ready secured the board's approval
for raising up to USD 500 million.
Besides, UPL has also lined ip a
capex plan of USD 210 billion for this
fiscal and a part of this would be to-
wards adding capacities. "We deliv-
ered significantly improved finan-
cial results in Q4 versus the two pre-
ceding quarters, inspite of the pre-
vailing volatile and challenging mar-
ket conditions," UPL Corporation
Ltd CEO Mike Frank said.
on Monday reported a two-fold
jump in consolidated profit after
tax (PAT) to Rs 933 crore in the
March quarter, as the company
managed to reduce expenses.
It had posted a PAT of Rs 466
crore during the fourth quarter
in last fiscal, the company said in
an exchange filing.
The company's total income
was at Rs 13,521.31 crore as
against Rs 13,707.69 in the Janu-
ary-March period of FY23.
JSP trimmed its expenses to
Rs 12,357.99 crore from Rs
12,748.70 crore a year ago.
The company brought down
its cost of materials to Rs 5,264.63
crore from Rs 6,168.29 crore in the
fourth quarter of FY23.
The company's net debt stood
at Rs 11,203 crore as of March 31
against Rs 9,115 crore at the end
of the December quarter.
"Balance sheet remains robust
with net debt to EBITDA at 1.10x
as at March 31, 2024, vs 0.92x as at
December 31, 2023. Increased
debt reflects higher payments on
account of completion of several
projects in line with capex pro-
gram," the company stated.
The total capex for the quarter
was Rs 2,523 crore and Rs 8,517
crore for FY24. During the year,
the company commissioned hot
strip mill project of 6 MTPA and
pellet plant of 6 MTPA (million
tonne per annum).
The board of the company also
approved final dividend of Rs 2
each for the financial year 2023-
24.
DLF's Managing Director
Ashok Kumar Tyagi has been ap-
pointed the company's Chief Fi-
nancial Officer (CFO). He will
continue to hold the additional
responsibility until a new CFO is
appointed.
Its net profit stood at Rs 570.01
crore in the year-ago period.
Total income rose to Rs 2,316.70
crore in the fourth quarter of
2023-24 from Rs 1,575.70 crore in
the corresponding period of the
previous year, according to a reg-
ulatory filing.
During 2023-24, the company's
net profit increased by 34 per cent
to Rs 2,727.09 crore from Rs
2,035.83 crore in the preceding
year. Total income grew to Rs
6,958.34 crore during the last fis-
cal from Rs 6,012.14 crore in the
2022-23 financial year.
1,556 crore.
Amid souring of ties with the
Maldives, Exim Bank said it has
disbursed USD 450 million to the
island nation, and the entire ex-
posure is performing well, a sen-
ior official said.
The bank's overall loan book
grew 17 per cent during the fiscal
year and it is aiming for at least
10-12 per cent growth in FY25,
managing director Harsha Ban-
gari told reporters here. When
asked for the reasons for the low-
er growth aim for FY25, she said
the bank had a similar target for
FY24 as well but the asset growth
came in higher than expecta-
tions.
The bank does not feel the need
to go for any equity raising in
FY25, she said, adding that it will
be borrowing up to USD 3.5
billion in foreign currency and
around Rs 35,000 crore from ru-
pee-denominated borrowings.
The bank has a commitment to
repay USD 1.2 billion coming up
in FY25, she said.
The commercial book grew at
49 per cent, much faster than the
policy business in FY24, which
helped deliver the higher loan
growth. The overall contribution
of commercials in the overall
book has reached 56 per cent busi-
ness now.
Net interest margin declined
sharply to 2.06 per cent in FY24 as
against 2.29 per cent a year ago,
which was attributed to the com-
position of assets wherein over 88
per cent are from the low-yielding
investment grade and also hard-
ening of rates across the world.

Coromandel to
acquire addl 7%
AI-VISTARA MERGER

stake in Dhaksha,
invest `150 crore
PTI / New Delhi
Coromandel International Ltd on Monday
announced the acquisition of an additional
7 per cent stake in Chennai-based drone
manufacturing firm Dhaksha Unmanned
Systems with an investment of Rs 150 crore.
The proceeds from this fundraise will
help Dhaksha in strengthening its research
and development efforts, cater to servicing
large orders and meeting its working
Assessment of over 7K staff complete;
their roles to be clear by June-end
PTI / New Delhi
With the Air India-Vistara merger in
progress, the assessment of over
7,000 employees have been
completed and their roles will be
clear by the end of June, sources said
on Monday.
Air India CEO and MD Campbell
Wilson along with Vistara CEO Vin-
od Kannan on Monday held a one-
and-a-half-hour long townhall meet-
ing with the employees of both carri-
India, and the movement of employ-
ees will continue between the two
carriers through secondment. Gen-
erally, secondment refers to sending
staff of one airline to another airline.
To ensure fairness and trans-
parency, the staff have been in-
Suzuki says will continue to expand SUV
portfolio to recover market share in India
PTI / New Delhi/Tokyo
Japanese car maker Suzuki
Motor Corporation on Monday
said it will continue to expand
SUV portfolio in India to recover
its overall market share in the
passenger vehicle segment.
The company, which currently
has around 58 per cent stake in
Maruti Suzuki India, said its net
sales increased by 732.6 billion
yen (15.8 per cent) year-on-year to
5,374.3 billion yen for the last fi-
nancial year.
Operating profit increased by
115 billion yen (32.8 per cent) YoY
to 465.6 billion yen.
"We will continue to promote
the expansion of our SUV models
(in India) and aim to recover our
total passenger car share," Suzuki
Motor Corporation said in a state-
ment.
Currently, Maruti Suzuki sells
SUV (sport utility vehicle) models
like Brezza, Jimny and Grand Vi-
tara in the domestic market.
The company's market share
has come down to around 42 per
cent from over 50 per cent a couple
of years back in the domestic pas-
senger vehicle segment on ac-
count of limited options in the
SUV segment.

PE firm ASK Property Fund exits from

capital needs, the company said in a state-
ment.
With this, the company's overall stake in
Dhaksha will increase to 58 per cent. The
stake will be acquired through the sub-
sidiary firm Coromanel Technology Ltd, it
added.
"This investment in Dhaksha aligns with
Coromandel's vision of diversifying in tech-
nology spaces and promoting technology
adoption across various spheres," Coro-
mandel International Ltd Executive Chair-
man Arun Alagappan said. "Coromandel
will invest Rs 150 crore through fresh issue
of shares to increase its overall
shareholding in Dhaksha to 58%," it said.
FUELLING RISK-CALIBRATED GROWTH
ers about the proposed merger. At the
phygital meeting, Wilson said the
merger is expected to be completed
by year-end, as per the sources.
Air India and Vistara together
have more than 23,500 employees.
Wilson said more than 7,000 staff
have been assessed and their fitment
will be completed in June, according
to the sources.
Fitment or broadly the roles and
responsibilities of these employees,
including the flying staff, will be
clear by that time, the sources added.
Around 120 pilots are already sec-
onded between Vistara and Air
formed that the organisation struc-
ture has been finalised with the help
of a global consulting firm, leverag-
ing benchmarking and learning
from the overall airline industry, the
sources said.
The plans for fleet expansion, net-
work growth and enhanced service
over the next few years have also
been taken into consideration while
deciding on the organisation struc-
ture. The chiefs assured that the fit-
ment or assignment of existing em-
ployees into the new structure is be-
ing done on the basis of merit and
competency.
Naiknavare's hsg project with `156 cr return
PTI / New Delhi
Private equity firm ASK Property Fund,
which had invested Rs 80 crore in 2018 in
a housing project built by Naiknavare De-
velopers, has exited from this project at
Rs 156 crore, almost doubling its invest-
ments. In a statement on Monday, the
company said it has made a "successful
exit of Rs 156 crore from Avon Vista, a
project being developed by Naiknavare
Developers".
ASK Property Fund is the real estate
private equity arm of Blackstone-backed
ASK Asset & Wealth Management Group.
The project is located in Balewadi, Pune,
comprising of 613 units. "ASK Property
Fund had invested Rs 80 crore in this proj-
ect in 2018. The recent exit has achieved a
targeted IRR of 21 per cent and a 2x multi-
Veira to invest
`450 crore on
new unit to hike
ple of the capital invested," the statement
said.
production capacity
The healthy absorption and comple- PTI / New Delhi
tion of the project have led to a successful
exit from the project. "This was a recapi- Consumer electronics and
talisation opportunity and before the appliances maker Veira on Monday
NBFC crisis. By providing the requisite said it will invest Rs 450 crore to set
and flexible working capital, we ensured up a new manufacturing unit at
the project's completion, supported by Greater Noida to enhance capacity
sales during the life of the project. for air coolers and washing ma-
chines.
This investment will result in in-
creasing existing production capaci-

Piramal Group arm invests `600 cr in microlender Annapurna Fin

ty from 1 lakh to 5 lakh units of wash-
ing machines and air coolers annual-
ly, Veira said in a statement.
"This expansion marks our com-
PTI / New Delhi said. Odisha-headquartered Anna- The investment includes a growth trajectory," Kalpesh mitment to serving both domestic

Piramal Alternatives on Monday

announced a Rs 600 crore invest-
ment for an undisclosed stake in
microfinance company Annapur-
na Finance.
The investment includes a sec-
ondary stake buy from an
existing shareholder and also pro-
viding it with the non-core tier-II
capital, a company statement
It did not specify the stake
bought or share a break-up of how
the Rs 600 crore investment
amount is divided.
The "structured capital solu-
tion" is aimed at fuelling the risk-
calibrated growth in
Annapurna's assets under man-
agement, the statement said.
purna had an AUM of USD 1.25
billion as of March 31, 2024. It has
a presence through 1,372
branches in 20 states and also
lends to small micro, small and
medium businesses.
"Microfinance as a retail asset
class has grown at a CAGR (com-
pound annual growth rate) of 32
secondary stake buy from
an existing shareholder
and also providing it with
the non-core tier-II capital
per cent over the last decade and
is expected to continue the high
Kikani, the chief executive officer
of Piramal Alternatives, said.
Annapurna Finance managing
director and chief executive offi-
cer Gobinda Chandra Pattanaik
said the growth capital from Pira-
mal will help in business diversi-
fication and consolidating posi-
tion in key markets.
and international markets," Veira
Director Ankit Maini said, adding
that the company anticipates these
product segments to contribute 15
per cent to its revenue by the end of
FY25. The company, a contract man-
ufacturer, said it already manufac-
tures air coolers for 23 Indian and
global brands.
MARKET
The investor of today does not FPI / DII TRADING ACTIVITY
profit from yesterday’s growth. BUY VALUE SELL VALUE NET VALUE
FII / FPI 10,309.45 14,808.37 -4,498.92
- Warren Buffett DII 12,655.75 9,093.00 3,562.75
INDORE | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024

VOLATILITY INDEX INDIA VIX SHOOTS PAST 20 TEAM MOTILAL OSWAL / Mumbai lower zones and wiped out its in-
TOP 5 STOCKS TO WATCH OUT FOR

MapMyIndia:
l CE Info Systems, the owner of MapmyIndia, reported a 35.11% jump
traday losses to extend the mo- in consolidated net profit to Rs 38.25 crore in the January-March quarter.
as against Rs 28.31 crore in the same period a year ago. The

N
ifty index opened flattish
and after the fall in the ini-
tial tick, it recovered in
the entire session and recouped
all its intraday gains. It went on to
touch near its previous day’s high
and closed above 22100 zones. It
formed a Bullish candle on daily
frame with longer lower shadow
indicating a strong pull back
move from lower levels. Now it
has to hold above 22050 zones for a
bounce towards 22222 then 22350
zones whereas supports are
placed at 21950 then 21800 zones.
India VIX was up by 11.53%
from 18.47 to 20.60 levels. Volatili-
ty spiked to 21.5 zones at its nine-
teen months high and created
swings in the market. VIX needs
to fall below 17-18 zones for some
stability and smoother ride in the
market.
On weekly front, Maximum
Call OI is at 22300 then 22500
strike while Maximum Put OI is
at 22000 then 21800 strike. Call
writing is seen at 22300 then 22400
strike while Put writing is seen at
21800 then 22000 strike. Option
data suggests a broader trading
range in between 21500 to 22500
zones while an immediate range
between 21900 to 22300 levels.
Bank Nifty Index opened mar-
ginally lower and gradually drift-
ed lower towards 46983 marks in
the first half of the session. How-
ever good recovery was seen from
mentum towards 47800 zones in
the latter part of the day. It formed
a Bullish engulfing pattern on
daily scale with long lower shad-
ow which indicates buying was
seen at lower zones but is still
forming lower highs from the last
eight sessions. Now it has to cross
and hold above 47777 zones for a
bounce towards 48250 then 48500
zones while on the downside sup-
port is seen at 48500 then 48250 lev-
els.
Fin Nifty Index opened on a
flattish note and gradually drifted
lower towards 21950 zones in the
first half of the session. However
smart recovery was seen from
lower levels and Index wiped out
its intraday losses to extend the
momentum towards 21288 marks
in the latter part of the day. Now
it has to cross and hold above
21250 zones for a bounce towards
21450 then 21550 zones while on
the downside support is seen at
21150 then 21000 levels.
Nifty future closed positive
with gains of 0.38% at 22224
levels. Positive setup in ABB,
Siemens, UPL, Metropolis, Au-
ropharma, Poly Cab, Lupin,
BHEL, Abbot India, Astral, AB
Capital, Colpal, Alkem, Go-
drejprop, Cumminsind, Bosch
Ltd, Godrejcp, HAL, Indigo,
Havells, Escorts, Marico, Axis
Bank, ICICI Bank, Powergrid and
Exideind.
consolidated revenue increased 47% to Rs 106.9 crore from Rs 72.47
crore in the March 2023 quarter.
l For FY24, CE Info Systems net profit grew about 25% to Rs 134.38
crore from Rs 107.53 in FY23 while the annual revenue increased 34.8%
to Rs 379.42 crore from Rs 281.46 crore during the same period.
l The consolidated revenue of operations increased 47 per cent to Rs
106.9 crore during the fourth quarter of FY24, from Rs 72.47 crore in the
March 2023 quarter. For the year ended March 31, 2024, CE Info
Systems PAT grew about 25 per cent to Rs 134.38 crore from Rs 107.53
crore a year ago. The annual revenue from operations of the company
increased 34.8 per cent to Rs 379.42 crore during the reported fiscal year
from Rs 281.46 crore in 2022-23.
RVNL:
l Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) clinched a contract from Southern Railway
for Rs 239 crore. The company has received a Letter of Acceptance (LoA)
from Southern Railway for Provision of Automatic Block Signaling system
in Jolarpettai Junction to Erode Junction of Salem Division in Southern
Railway. The timeline for execution is set at 12 months, according to
exchange filing.
TVS Motor:
l TVS Motor Company expanded its iQube lineup with the launch of a
new variant featuring a 2.2 kWh battery. Priced at Rs 94,999 this variant
is now the most affordable in the lineup. Simultaneously, TVS has made
the iQube ST available in the market, with two variants - 3.4 kWh and
5.1 kWh respectively.
l It also announced that customers who had pre-booked the ST variant
before 15th July 2022, will be able to purchase either the 5.1 kWh or 3.4
kWh variant with an introductory loyalty bonus of Rs 10,000.
Commenting on the launch of new variants, Manu Saxena, Senior Vice
President, EV Business, TVS Motor Company, said, "At TVS Motor
Company, we are committed to driving innovation and sustainability in
the industry. It is exciting to witness the growth of our 3 lakh strong TVS
iQube family. Learning from the riding behavior of our EV customers, we
are very happy to launch an all-new 2.2 kWh fastest charging variant in
TVS iQube and an additional variant in TVS iQube ST.

THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE, INCLUDING,
Cochin Shipyard:
BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOST PROFITS THAT MAY RESULT DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY FROM l Cochin Shipyard bagged a Large order in the range of Rs 500-1000
THE USE OR RELIANCE ON THE OPINIONS, NEWS, INVESTIGATIONS, ANALYSES, PRICES crore from a European Client, for the design and construction of a Hybrid
OR OTHER INFORMATION OFFERED ON THIS PAGE. DATA SOURCE: CAPITALINE
Service Operation Vessel (Hybrid SOV) with an option for two more such
vessels. The vessel is equipped with hybrid battery systems to improve
HOT STOCKS TOP VALUE GAINERS TOP VALUE LOSERS the energy efficiency and reduce the carbon foot prints.
l The vessel is designed and built for the service, maintenance and
Company Name 5/10/2024 7 DSMA 21 DSMA 50DSMA 250 DSMA BSE 1 Year Pulscore Company Name 5/10/2024 5/13/2024 Change % chg

High Price MRF 127519.20 128873.40 1354.20 1.06

Company Name 5/10/2024 5/13/2024 Change
-313.95
% chg
operational needs of the offshore wind farm industry in the European
ZF Commercial 13432.25 13118.30 -2.34
Syngene Intl. 666.75 670.44 697.26 699.26 737.50 860.20 100 ABB 7182.15 7983.80 801.65 11.16 market where sustainable energy solutions are in high demand. The
Tata Inv.Corpn. 6804.15 6514.85 -289.30 -4.25
Sun TV Network 670.00 653.56 633.00 618.54 593.03 734.90 100 Hitachi Energy 8767.25 9461.85 694.60 7.92 project is expected to be completed by the end 2026.
Solar Industries 8859.60 8676.45 -183.15 -2.07
Aarti Industries 672.50 713.08 729.48 690.18 563.86 769.50 100 Abbott India 26369.90 27043.40 673.50 2.55 Tube Investments 4089.50 3931.00 -158.50 -3.88
Lloyds Metals
Jindal Stain.
681.40
686.70
691.99
707.01
705.86
703.43
639.17
690.06
547.62
503.62
750.00
747.90
100
100
Esab India 5039.05 5622.75 583.70 11.58 Dixon Technolog. 8416.25 8270.30 -145.95 -1.73 Coromandel International:
Page Industries 34547.40 35108.00 560.60 1.62 Fine Organic 4414.10 4287.75 -126.35 -2.86
Ramkrishna Forg. 693.25 715.76 729.89 714.70 639.01 814.95 100 Honeywell Auto 46796.35 47272.85 476.50 1.02 BASF India 4216.90 4094.95 -121.95 -2.89
l Coromandel International Limited, through its wholly owned
Jubilant Pharmo 697.55 688.06 676.71 619.90 479.56 724.00 100 Siemens 6170.05 6627.80 457.75 7.42 eClerx Services 2296.00 2176.60 -119.40 -5.20
subsidiary Coromandel Technology Limited (CTL), acquired an additional
TTK Prestige 700.60 703.26 700.96 707.17 753.56 832.00 100 Bosch 30397.15 30782.80 385.65 1.27 Avenue Super. 4794.70 4694.05 -100.65 -2.10
7% stake in Chennai-based drone manufacturing company Dhaksha
Medplus Health 704.40 685.34 686.12 687.05 768.20 977.45 100 Cera Sanitary. 6746.85 7122.20 375.35 5.56 Tata Motors 1046.85 959.55 -87.30 -8.34
Unmanned Systems. Coromandel will invest Rs 150 crore through fresh
Tata Motors-DVR 706.90 686.12 670.56 660.35 472.67 712.90 100 Shree Cement 25700.45 26008.45 308.00 1.20 TCI Express 1095.95 1008.80 -87.15 -7.95 issue of shares to increase its overall shareholding in Dhaksha to 58%.
Sterling & Wils. 707.95 700.06 624.12 575.97 414.46 757.00 100 Polycab India 6153.60 6425.70 272.10 4.42
CRISIL 4347.25 4263.75 -83.50 -1.92 l In the last year, Dhaksha has bagged several orders from defence and
Rossari Biotech 714.65 722.56 735.11 723.10 784.38 903.45 100 3M India 28670.20 28924.80 254.60 0.89 Godfrey Phillips 3396.05 3313.45 -82.60 -2.43 agri input companies and its current order book stands at Rs 265 crore.
Supreme Petroch. 717.45 687.29 665.38 664.06 535.38 782.80 100 Oracle Fin.Serv. 7572.95 7744.85 171.90 2.27 Cams Services 3206.75 3127.40 -79.35 -2.47 The company has recently expanded its production capacity with a state-
SBI Cards 720.10 717.91 731.69 716.86 789.15 932.35 100 Dr Lal Pathlabs 2348.85 2494.80 145.95 6.21 JBM Auto 1883.85 1813.95 -69.90 -3.71 of-the-art manufacturing facility established on the outskirts of Chennai.
K E C Intl. 723.50 740.87 733.74 717.68 633.96 838.25 100 Phoenix Mills 2856.95 2999.85 142.90 5.00 Mazagon Dock 2196.95 2132.75 -64.20 -2.92 l The proceeds from this fund-raise will help Dhaksha in strengthening
ICICI Securities 723.80 739.11 732.42 749.76 669.54 865.10 100 Divi's Lab. 3791.95 3914.45 122.50 3.23
Tata Motors-DVR 706.90 645.85 -61.05 -8.64 its research & development efforts, cater to servicing large orders and
Shoppers Stop 728.05 726.84 720.44 738.78 729.48 889.75 100 Motil.Oswal.Fin. 2147.55 2269.10 121.55 5.66 Gujarat Fluoroch 3282.80 3222.35 -60.45 -1.84 meeting its working capital needs.
Five-Star Bus.Fi 729.05 751.41 725.33 707.74 706.68 875.35 100 C.E. Info System 1799.10 1917.15 118.05 6.56 Mankind Pharma 2238.15 2179.65 -58.50 -2.61

STOCK IDEAS
Uno Minda 734.50 728.68 727.08 689.44 629.77 764.65 100 Linde India 7810.70 7926.75 116.05 1.49 Sobha 1698.85 1640.40 -58.45 -3.44
Can Fin Homes 736.25 749.08 759.52 764.20 760.85 905.00 100 Asian Paints 2772.80 2878.90 106.10 3.83 Tata Elxsi 7122.80 7064.60 -58.20 -0.82
PNB Housing 739.75 768.04 769.91 720.60 695.05 913.95 100 P I Industries 3559.80 3660.55 100.75 2.83 Kaynes Tech 2524.15 2470.95 -53.20 -2.11
360 ONE 746.75 757.75 768.64 730.67 580.34 901.10 100 Timken India 3402.30 3501.45 99.15 2.91 Raymond 2149.70 2097.65 -52.05 -2.42 ICICI BANK - TECHNICAL CALL OF THE DAY
Ramco Cement 760.00 763.16 794.23 812.47 909.86 1057.85 100 J K Cements 3835.85 3934.65 98.80 2.58 Mastek 2367.35 2317.05 -50.30 -2.12 BUY ICICI BANK
Gujarat Alkalies 774.55 779.34 792.10 763.82 727.87 869.60 100 Cummins India 3413.00 3510.25 97.25 2.85 ICICI Bank is in overall uptrend and holding gains
SRF 2276.95 2228.10 -48.85 -2.15
JK Lakshmi Cem.
Anupam Rasayan
774.95
788.45
787.95
813.08
796.03
838.91
842.68
883.76
773.38
964.14
998.40
1249.75
100
100
Gillette India
Apar Inds.
6795.95
7642.35
6892.85
7733.45
96.90
91.10
1.43
1.19
Sapphire Foods
Shriram Finance
1419.05
2345.75
1374.05
2300.90
-45.00
-44.85
-3.17
-1.91
at higher levels. It has retested breakout on daily
scale and inching higher. It has formed a strong CMP 1128
K P R Mill Ltd
Happiest Minds
803.65
808.40
826.36
812.37
837.26
813.81
814.32
811.51
743.16
875.74
927.40
1022.30
100
100
Metropolis Healt
Alkem Lab
1746.05
5125.60
1830.70
5209.35
84.65
83.75
4.85
1.63
Rainbow Child.
Data Pattern
1402.70
2808.65
1360.40
2767.10
-42.30
-41.55
-3.02
-1.48
bullish candle on daily chart and trading above its
short term moving averages. Momentum indicator
SL 1105
Max Healthcare 810.00 810.75 811.95 792.27 658.88 909.00 100 Adani Enterp.
Tejas Networks
2799.20
1120.45
2880.50
1199.15
81.30
78.70
2.90
7.02
Endurance Tech.
Birla Corpn.
2096.40
1459.70
2058.10
1422.30
-38.30
-37.40
-1.83
-2.56
Relative Strength Index (RSI) is on the verge of
Bullish crossover which indicates momentum to
TRGT 1180
UPWARDLY MOBILE COMPANIES Lupin 1609.85 1687.75 77.90 4.84 Titan Company 3291.10 3254.20 -36.90 -1.12
pick up in coming sessions.
Cipla 1339.45 1414.80 75.35 5.63 Century Textiles 1998.40 1962.65 -35.75 -1.79
Company Name 5/6/2024 5/13/2024 Days Gain/Loss Per Day Godrej Propert. 2690.60 2765.25 74.65 2.77 Atul 5972.00 5936.35 -35.65 -0.60
% Averge
  
 7951.30 8020.50 69.20 0.87 Cochin Shipyard 1230.15 1195.00 -35.15 -2.86
Sonata Software 660.85 505.25 5 -23.55 -31.12
Galaxy Surfact. 2479.45 2548.40 68.95 2.78 Global Health 1414.60 1381.50 -33.10 -2.34
Sobha 1942.50 1640.40 5 -15.55 -60.42
Grindwell Norton 2162.15 2230.90 68.75 3.18 Prestige Estates 1507.75 1477.00 -30.75 -2.04
SRF 2591.65 2228.10 5 -14.03 -72.71
Coforge 4464.75 4532.05 67.30 1.51 Ingersoll-Rand 4339.95 4309.60 -30.35 -0.70
Mastek 2575.70 2317.05 5 -10.04 -51.73
Britannia Inds. 5068.60 5135.70 67.10 1.32 Home First Finan 819.90 789.75 -30.15 -3.68
Shriram Finance 2546.05 2300.90 5 -9.63 -49.03
Interglobe Aviat 4016.75 4083.65 66.90 1.67 Patanjali Foods 1360.90 1331.20 -29.70 -2.18
Amber Enterp. 4057.55 3796.90 5 -6.42 -52.13
CEAT 2238.75 2300.40 61.65 2.75 Bharat Dynamics 1860.75 1831.65 -29.10 -1.56
Adani Total Gas 916.55 861.35 5 -6.02 -11.04
Colgate-Palmoliv 2798.15 2859.65 61.50 2.20 Alkyl Amines 1978.30 1949.60 -28.70 -1.45
PNB Housing 771.15 727.75 5 -5.63 -8.68
UltraTech Cem. 9494.95 9554.15 59.20 0.62 Krishna Institu. 1998.60 1970.80 -27.80 -1.39
KPIT Technologi. 1515.00 1440.70 5 -4.90 -14.86
V-Mart Retail 2105.85 2162.25 56.40 2.68 Zydus Wellness 1711.25 1686.15 -25.10 -1.47
Tata Tele. Mah. 78.86 75.20 5 -4.64 -0.73
Astral 2159.60 2215.25 55.65 2.58 Brigade Enterpr. 1038.55 1013.45 -25.10 -2.42
K E C Intl. 752.05 717.15 5 -4.64 -6.98
SKF India 4996.50 5051.60 55.10 1.10 Hatsun Agro 1034.30 1011.30 -23.00 -2.22
KRBL 289.10 276.30 5 -4.43 -2.56
Poly Medicure 1605.70 1660.70 55.00 3.43 Alembic Pharma 974.70 952.60 -22.10 -2.27
T N Merc. Bank 485.00 465.45 5 -4.03 -3.91
Gland Pharma 1708.65 1761.60 52.95 3.10 KPIT Technologi. 1462.75 1440.70 -22.05 -1.51

TOP PERCENTAGE GAINERS TOP PERCENTAGE LOSERS 52 WEEK HIGH

Company Name 5/10/2024 5/13/2024 % chg Company Name 5/10/2024 5/13/2024 % chg Company Name 5/13/2024 52-week 52-week Change Chg (%)
Esab India 5039.05 5622.75 11.58 Bank of India 138.85 124.50 -10.33 High Low Rs
ABB 7182.15 7983.80 11.16 Tata Motors-DVR 706.90 645.85 -8.64 Kaycee Inds. 30305.95 30305.95 8000.00 22305.95 278.82
Hindustan Zinc 527.60 578.85 9.71 Tata Motors 1046.85 959.55 -8.34 Honeywell Auto 47272.85 48000.00 34990.00 13010.00 37.18
Hitachi Energy 8767.25 9461.85 7.92 TCI Express 1095.95 1008.80 -7.95 TVS Holdings 10415.25 10700.00 3360.82 7339.18 218.37
Siemens 6170.05 6627.80 7.42 eClerx Services 2296.00 2176.60 -5.20 Jamshri Realty 10494.10 10494.10 3500.00 6994.10 199.83
Tejas Networks 1120.45 1199.15 7.02 Tata Inv.Corpn. 6804.15 6514.85 -4.25 ABB 7983.80 8025.00 3810.00 4215.00 110.63
C.E. Info System 1799.10 1917.15 6.56 Praj Industries 522.25 500.85 -4.10 Siemens 6627.80 6668.25 3248.00 3420.25 105.30
UPL 501.95 534.35 6.45 Union Bank (I) 142.05 136.40 -3.98 Polycab India 6425.70 6469.65 3298.80 3170.85 96.12
Dr Lal Pathlabs 2348.85 2494.80 6.21 Tube Investments 4089.50 3931.00 -3.88 Cummins India 3510.25 3527.00 1557.15 1969.85 126.50
Motil.Oswal.Fin. 2147.55 2269.10 5.66 Zomato Ltd 201.40 193.70 -3.82 John Cockerill 3793.75 3858.00 1891.00 1967.00 104.02
Cipla 1339.45 1414.80 5.63 Pun. & Sind Bank 57.10 54.96 -3.75 Insolation Ener 1855.80 1880.00 118.50 1761.50 1486.50
Cera Sanitary. 6746.85 7122.20 5.56 JBM Auto 1883.85 1813.95 -3.71 Escorts Kubota 3598.90 3617.20 2034.00 1583.20 77.84
M & M Fin. Serv. 250.40 263.90 5.39 Home First Finan 819.90 789.75 -3.68 Eicher Motors 4655.20 4722.40 3159.20 1563.20 49.48
Welspun Corp 555.45 584.10 5.16 Devyani Intl. 161.20 155.40 -3.60 Stovec Inds. 3253.70 3390.00 2021.00 1369.00 67.74
Phoenix Mills 2856.95 2999.85 5.00 V I P Inds. 527.75 509.20 -3.51 Netweb Technolog 2056.55 2059.05 739.70 1319.35 178.36
Metropolis Healt 1746.05 1830.70 4.85 Sobha 1698.85 1640.40 -3.44 Kirl. Brothers 1425.00 1474.95 513.35 961.60 187.32
Lupin 1609.85 1687.75 4.84 Sona BLW Precis. 590.45 570.50 -3.38 Diamond Power 857.35 857.35 22.11 835.24 3777.66
Polycab India 6153.60 6425.70 4.42 Sapphire Foods 1419.05 1374.05 -3.17 Tinna Rubber 1012.10 1026.80 229.50 797.30 347.41
Mishra Dhatu Nig 406.85 424.75 4.40 Asahi India Glas 607.85 588.75 -3.14 Sayaji (Indore) 785.20 785.20 87.10 698.10 801.49
Aurobindo Pharma 1128.65 1177.85 4.36 Rainbow Child. 1402.70 1360.40 -3.02 Astral 2215.25 2227.00 1552.20 674.80 43.47
Metro Brands 1037.50 1080.95 4.19 Mazagon Dock 2196.95 2132.75 -2.92 Tulive Developer 845.90 845.90 171.50 674.40 393.24
Asian Paints 2772.80 2878.90 3.83 BASF India 4216.90 4094.95 -2.89   674.40 674.40 12.02 662.38 5510.65
PB Fintech. 1201.45 1246.50 3.75 Fine Organic 4414.10 4287.75 -2.86 Ceenik Exports 648.00 648.00 9.76 638.24 6539.34
Poly Medicure 1605.70 1660.70 3.43 Cochin Shipyard 1230.15 1195.00 -2.86 Eraaya Lifespace 645.30 645.30 10.98 634.32 5777.05
BHEL 274.40 283.35 3.26 Latent View 471.55 458.45 -2.78 Allsec Tech. 1029.05 1045.05 420.00 625.05 148.82
Jindal Worldwide 352.65 364.05 3.23 Kansai Nerolac 277.95 270.25 -2.77 Aurobindo Pharma 1177.85 1184.00 581.50 602.50 103.61
Divi's Lab. 3791.95 3914.45 3.23 Kalyan Jewellers 410.85 399.85 -2.68 Tejas Networks 1199.15 1215.00 640.00 575.00 89.84
Grindwell Norton 2162.15 2230.90 3.18 Sterling & Wils. 707.95 689.40 -2.62 Sayaji Hot. Pune 626.85 626.85 87.10 539.75 619.69
Rain Industries 156.45 161.40 3.16 Mankind Pharma 2238.15 2179.65 -2.61 Binayaka Tex Pr 1125.50 1175.00 691.85 483.15 69.83
Bombay Burmah 1508.00 1555.60 3.16 Birla Corpn. 1459.70 1422.30 -2.56 Havells India 1703.85 1714.80 1233.10 481.70 39.06
Adani Ports 1266.40 1306.35 3.15 UCO Bank 52.97 51.64 -2.51 Jupiter Wagons 483.85 507.15 112.15 395.00 352.21
Gland Pharma 1708.65 1761.60 3.10 Indraprastha Gas 445.80 434.70 -2.49 Machhar Industri 418.40 418.40 29.00 389.40 1342.76
Timken India 3402.30 3501.45 2.91 Cams Services 3206.75 3127.40 -2.47 Worth Investment 390.00 391.00 30.00 361.00 1203.33
Aditya Birla Cap 216.30 222.60 2.91 Central Bank 60.76 59.26 -2.47 Swadeshi Polytex 357.10 357.10 35.00 322.10 920.29
Suven Pharma 643.35 662.05 2.91 Godfrey Phillips 3396.05 3313.45 -2.43 Hindustan Zinc 578.85 585.90 285.00 300.90 105.58
Adani Enterp. 2799.20 2880.50 2.90 Piramal Enterp. 847.65 827.05 -2.43
Cummins India 3413.00 3510.25 2.85 IDBI Bank 83.61 81.58 -2.43 52 WEEK LOW
P I Industries 3559.80 3660.55 2.83 Raymond 2149.70 2097.65 -2.42
Company Name 5/13/2024 52-week 52-week Change Chg (%)
GMR Airports Inf 80.07 82.33 2.82 Brigade Enterpr. 1038.55 1013.45 -2.42 High Low Rs
Galaxy Surfact. 2479.45 2548.40 2.78 Oil India 619.10 604.25 -2.40
LTIMindtree 4595.40 6442.65 4565.00 -1877.65 -29.14
Godrej Propert. 2690.60 2765.25 2.77 Campus Activewe. 249.70 243.80 -2.36
Dalmia BharatLtd 1742.85 2428.85 1700.05 -728.80 -30.01
CEAT 2238.75 2300.40 2.75 MRPL 210.50 205.55 -2.35
Ideaforge Tech 668.65 1344.00 655.85 -688.15 -51.20
Lloyds Metals 681.40 700.15 2.75 Global Health 1414.60 1381.50 -2.34
Bata India 1315.85 1770.10 1293.65 -476.45 -26.92
Piramal Pharma 150.30 154.35 2.69 ZF Commercial 13432.25 13118.30 -2.34
Anupam Rasayan 789.25 1249.75 776.00 -473.75 -37.91
V-Mart Retail 2105.85 2162.25 2.68 Chalet Hotels 832.00 812.85 -2.30
IOB 61.95 60.54 -2.28 Go Fashion (I) 957.25 1403.95 939.05 -464.90 -33.11
Astral 2159.60 2215.25 2.58
J K Cements 3835.85 3934.65 2.58 Alembic Pharma 974.70 952.60 -2.27 Tata Technolog. 1020.85 1400.00 1004.15 -395.85 -28.28
Abbott India 26369.90 27043.40 2.55 Sonata Software 516.90 505.25 -2.25 Clean Science 1278.75 1622.40 1276.20 -346.20 -21.34
Indian Hotels Co 543.40 557.15 2.53 Hatsun Agro 1034.30 1011.30 -2.22 52-week High-low Data for all BSE listed company Rest of all table are BSE-500 and
Moving average data as of the previous trading day. Source:Capitalmarket

IPL CORNER
Stubbs’ wicket was
crucial to us: Green
BENGALURU: Following his side’s 47-
run win over Delhi Capitals Royal
Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder
Cameron Green expressed that run-out
dismissals of in-form batters Jake Fraser
McGurk and Tristan Stubbs were crucial
to get while defending a competitive
total. Speaking in a video by the official
handle of the Indian Premier League on
X, featuring batter Rajat Patidar, Green
said, “I think everyone has got a bit of
confidence now. Things kind of go your
way at certain times. And we have got a
bit of luck tonight. I think with the
Fraser-Gurk run out, I think that was
pretty crucial for us. So we will take the
luck and move to the next game.”
We have become more
attacking: Yash Dayal
BENGALURU: After a fifth consecutive
win which not only put Royal
Challengers
Bengaluru
(RCB) in
contention
for an IPL
2024 playoff
berth but
also moved
them up to
fifth place on
the points
table, RCB’s pacer Yash Dayal said the
team’s remarkable turnaround has been
fueled by a positive team environment
and attacking game. Dayal revealed a
strong sense of team unity is a key
factor for their team’s dramatic
turnaround in the ongoing IPL.”There
has been a positive change. Even when
we were losing, no one was pointing
anyone’s name out. This supportive
atmosphere, coupled with a newfound
aggressive approach, seems to be the
winning formula for RCB,” Dayal said in
a post-match press conference.
Livingstone leaves event midway
to get knee ‘sorted out’
NEW DELHI: Punjab Kings all-rounder
Liam Livingstone left Indian Premier
League (IPL) midway
to fly back to England
to get his “knee
sorted out” in a bid
to be ready for the
T20 World Cup 2024.
Livingstone went
down on the field
during a loss to the
Lucknow Super Giants
last month, which
caused him to miss
two games early in
the IPL season.
Livingstone has experienced a string of
muscle problems over the last two
years. However, on Thursday, he made a
comeback to the team during their loss
to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.“IPL
done for another year. Had to get my
knee sorted for the upcoming World
Cup,” Livingstone wrote on Instagram.
“Thanks once again to the Punjab Kings
fans for all their love and support.
Disappointing season as a team and
personally, but as always, I loved every
minute of playing in the IPL,” he wrote
in the post.
Pitch did not slow down as
we expected: Sanju Samson
CHENNAI: Rajasthan Royals captain
Sanju Samson said they fell 20-24 runs
short of the score they had expected to
score against
Chennai Super
Kings in Match 61
of Indian Premier
League (IPL) 2024
and said their
opponents had a
better idea of how
to deal things at
home. Samson
said the pitch had
lower bounce than
they had expected, and his team tried
its best to cope with the conditions.
Chennai Super Kings beat the Rajasthan
Royals by five wickets, moving within
inches of qualifying for the Playoffs with
just one game remaining. After a
superb bowling performance that
restricted Rajasthan Royals to 141/5 in
20 overs, Ruturaj Gaikwad played a true
captain’s inning, scoring 42 runs not
out as the young opener stood like a
rock in front of the potent bowling
attack scoring and powering his team
to a comfortable victory.
INDORE | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024
RAIN MARS MATCH AGAINST KKR
GT eliminated from IPL 2024
AHMEDABAD
Gujarat Titans’ hopes of qualify-
ing for the Indian Premier
League play-offs was dashed on
Monday as rain washed out
their must-win match against
Kolkata Knight Riders here
without a ball being bowled.
It meant KKR were assured of
a top two finish with 19 points
from 13 games and a place in the
Qualifier 1. GT, the last year’s
runners-up and 2022 champions,
are out of the play-off race, gar-
nering 11 points from 13 match-
es.
The toss didn’t happen at
scheduled time of 7 pm due to in-
cessant lightning, which was
followed by slight drizzle that
became heavier as time passed
by.
The cut-off time was 10:56 PM
for a five-over contest but the of-
ficial decided to abandon the
match, a first in this IPL, be-
cause of the consistently inten-
sifying rain and wet outfield.
“It is a big achievement for us.
The chat before the game (vs
GT) was about not letting up,
turning up with the right atti-
tude.
“GG (Gautam Gambhir) has
been pretty solid with how he
wants us to play as a team. He
We want to secure our future in
all three formats: Sikandar Raza
NEW DELHI
Sikandar Raza said Zimbabwe
will try to rebuild the team and
add new players in order to “se-
cure” their future in all three
formats.
Brian Bennett is one of the
players who helped Zimbabwe
win the fifth T20I against
Bangladesh with an impressive
all-around performance.In
order to prevent his team from
losing a 5-0 T20I series white-
wash, Bennet, who made his de-
but for his country last year af-
ter Zimbabwe was eliminated
from the 2024 men’s T20 World
Cup, bagged 2 wickets
conceding 20 runs and scored a
49-ball 70. Zimbabwe will miss
its fourth ICC tournament since
2019—the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Jay Shah, Rohit unveil
Indian team’s jersey
NEW DELHI
The Board of Control for Cricket in
India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah
and captain Rohit Sharma attended
the unveiling of India’s new T20
World Cup kit at the Narendra Modi
Stadium in Ahmedabad, here on
Monday.
Adidas, India’s official kit partner,
earlier revealed the team’s jersey
for the upcoming T20 World Cup to
be played in the USA and Caribbean
from June 1. BCCI’s official social
media handle posted a video of Jay
Shah and Rohit Sharma, unveiling
FOCUS ON KL RAHUL
LSG face DC in playoff battle
There has been a lot of
speculations about Rahul’s
future as LSG skipper after
his “public reprimand” by
team owner Sanjiv Goenka
following their 10-wicket
hammering by Sunrisers
Hyderabad last
Wednesday
stressed on us to come here and
still look for two points,” said
Kolkata’s opener Phil Salt as the
teams waited for the rain to sub-
side.
KKR has already secured their
place in the play-offs after they
defeated Mumbai Indians in
their previous fixture. Ra-
jasthan Royals are second in the
standings with 16 points from 12
games, while defending champi-
ons Chennai Super Kings are
“This is the vision. Because we
are not going to the World
Cup, we want to rebuild
the team. We want to se-
cure our future in all
three formats. The sen-
ior guys will be there
for a bit longer in
ODIs and Tests, but in
T20s we are trying to
build a new team.
The long-term
vision is for
these guys to
gain the con-
fidence from
T20s to fil-
ter into
ODIs and
Tests,”
Raza told
ESPN-
the Indian kits, including the train-
ing kit, coaching staff kit, and the
main kit.“It is time to welcome our
team in new colours. Presenting the
new T20I #TeamIndia Jersey with
our honorary secretary JayShah,
captain Rohit Sharma and official
partner Adidas,” BCCI posted on
Twitter.
On April 30, the BCCI named In-
dia’s 15-member squad for the up-
coming T20 World Cup to be held in
the US and West Indies. India will
begin their campaign against Ire-
land on June 5 at Nassau County In-
ternational Cricket Stadium.
Moody points out key concern
for India ahead of T20 WC
‘Can they play brand of
cricket required..'
placed third with 14 points from
13 matches. Sunrisers Hyder-
abad are placed fourth with 14
points from 12 matches, while
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
are on fifth with 12 points from
13 games.
With 12 points from as many
games, Lucknow Super Giants
Australia have historically played these ICC events very well and that’s
are still in the play-off race, because they play big tournaments well. There’s no doubt that India
while Delhi Capitals are virtual- have got a very strong side and they’ve got plenty of match winners in
ly out of the reckoning with 12
points from 13 matches. that side but can they bring that team together relatively quickly after
the IPL and get them to play that brand of cricket that’s required to win
a World Cup? That is yet to be answered,” Moody, cricket expert and
commentator with official TV broadcaster Star Sports for IPL 2024
NEW DELHI quickly adapt to the new in their group A fixtures
conditions that await before heading to the
With the T20 World Cup them. Caribbean to play the
just around the corner, “It’s very hard to say at rest of the knockout
cricinfo. former Australian crick- this stage but I think it’s stage games, assuming
“I can tell those youngsters eter Tom Moody has going to be a very closely they qualify from their
that we tried our hardest (in questioned whether In- called World Cup. We’re group.
the qualifiers) but it wasn’t dia will be able to “play yet to understand what “We know the
meant to be. For those the brand of cricket the conditions are going Caribbean, it depends on
coming into the changing that’s required to win a to be like in the United what Island you are on as
room, there’s still the World Cup”, considering States. Yes there are drop the conditions will be dif-
right guidance available. the very limited time in pitches but what does ferent at every venue. I
Hopefully, our advice frame the team has, to that mean? Does it mean think it’s going to be the
and guidance will help prepare after the IPL. they’re going to be quick, team that has the experi-
you kids cross The first batch of play- bouncy or they are going ence in those conditions
that hurdle, ers from team India will to spin, be slow. We are and understand how to
and get to be leaving for the United yet to really understand adapt their game and
the World States after the conclu- who that is going to suit,” have the flexibility with-
Cup if you sion of the league phase added the former SRH in their squad to be able
ever have of the Indian Premier head coach when asked to make sure that they
to play League. The players who who are the favorites to have the appropriate se-
the advance to the knockout win the mega event.India lections according to op-
quali- stages joining up the will be playing all their positions & conditions
fiers,” squad after the IPL 2024 group stage games in the and get momentum in
he final. This has left many United States as they big tournaments,” con-
added. questioning whether the take on Ireland, Pak- cluded the 58-year-old
players will be able to istan, USA and Canada Australian.
Netherlands name Scott Edwards-led 15-man squad
AMSTELVEEN
The Netherlands have announced a 15-
man squad for the T20 World Cup, with
wicketkeeper-batter Scott Edwards
leading the side at the mega event,
starting from June 1 in the West Indies
and the USA.
This is the first time in the history of
international cricket that an associate
country participated in three consecu-
tive World Cup editions. The
Dutchmen played in the T20 World Cup
in Australia in 2022 and the ODI World
Cup last year.Veteran all-rounder paign on June 4 against Nepal at Grand The Netherlands squad: Scott Ed-
Roelof van der Merwe and batter Colin Prairie Stadium in Dallas, followed by wards (c/wk), Aryan Dutt, Bas de
Ackermann were unavailable for selec- their match against South Africa on Leede, Daniel Doram, Fred Klaassen,
tion, which led the selectors to opt for June 8 in New York. They will next Logan van Beek, Max O’Dowd, Michael
the youngsters; left-arm spinner Tim play Bangladesh on June 13 in Levitt, Paul van Meekeren, Sybrand
Pringle, and opener Michael Levitt, Kingstown, St Vincent and the Engelbrecht, Teja Nidamanuru, Tim
with star all-rounder Bas de Leede Grenadines, before concluding their Pringle, Vikram Singh, Viv Kingma,
among the key players for Dutch side. group stage action against Sri Lanka Wesley Barresi.
The Dutch side will begin their cam- Gros Islet, St. Lucia on June 17. Travelling reserve: Kyle Klein
SHAHID AFRIDI’S ADVICE TO PAKISTAN FOR SHOWPIECE EVENT
'Need same mindset in T20 World Cup'
LAHORE of the three-game series at tors to victo- done team, sp the way
the Clontarf Cricket Club ry with Rizwan and
Former Pakistan all- in Dublin. 19 balls Fakhar
rounder Shahid Afridi The experienced duo to spare. played. We
said that the Men in Green Fakhar Zaman and Mo- Afridi need the same
needs the same mindset in hammad Rizwan rescued lauded mindset in the
the upcoming T20 World Pakistan from a shaky wicket- World Cup and
Cup and similar strike start of 13 for two in 1.4 keeper-bat- similar strike rates
rates for most batters as overs in pursuit of 194 runs ter Muham- for most batsmen.
they had against Ireland in target by producing a high- mad Rizwan Congrats to Shaheen
the 2nd T20I. ly entertaining partner- and batter on 300 intl wickets,
Pakistan registered a 7- ship of 140 runs for the Fakhar Zaman. well done,” Afridi
wicket victory against Ire- third wicket in just 78 “We needed wrote on X.
land in the 2nd T20I match balls, propelling the visi- this win. Well
NEW DELHI place in India’s T20 squad but rate against Rajasthan Royals
also left LSG at the seventh spot will help them to end things on a
Focus will be on skipper KL with 12 points with RCB and DC, high. Delhi sans Pant paid the
Rahul as a struggling Lucknow who are fifth and sixth respec- price for their fielding lapses as
Super Giants look to keep their tively. those drop catches and misfields
slim IPL playoff chances alive Five days is a lot of time to in- came back to haunt them against
when they face an equally desper- trospect and Rahul and Co. will RCB on Sunday night.
ate Delhi Capitals in a must-win look to come out all guns blazing While the bowlers let RCB off
game here on Tuesday. when they face DC, who are the hook after a
Speculations are rife that Rahul also on 12 points and are good start, the bat-
may step down as captain or per- coming into the match after ting once again
haps he will do his duties for the a loss against RCB on Sun- came unstuck as
remaining two games before leav- day night. Match starts at they lost four wick-
ing LSG. In either case, the India Delhi Capitals, on the oth- 7.30 pm ets inside 4 overs to
batter would look to answer with
his bat and end things on a high.
er hand, will hope the re-
turn of skipper Rishabh
Live on be bowled out for
their lowest in-
Rahul hasn’t been in the best of Pant after a one-match sus-
Star Sports nings score this
form and it’s not only cost him a pension due to slow over- IPL.
 Spieth gets another Grand Slam shot
KENTUCKY (USA): The attention starts building weeks, if not months, ahead of the one
major keeping Rory McIlroy from the career Grand Slam, the most elite club in golf. It’s
like that every year, and it doesn’t make it any easier when he gets to the Masters.Jordan
Spieth should be able to appreciate the feeling. Except that he really doesn’t.
SPORTS
INDORE | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024

OLYMPICS-BOUND JYOTHIKA SAYS THAILAND OPEN

‘Wanted to be a doctor but opted for Satwik-Chirag look to regain competitive edge
BANGKOK Yuqi will trouble him as he

athletics due to father’s passion’

Star shuttlers Satwiksairaj
Rankireddy and Chirag
Shetty will look to regain
their competitive edge as
they spearhead the Indian
challenge at the Thailand
Open Super 500 tourna-
The 23-year-old from Tanuku town in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, secured 97 per ment, beginning here on
cent in Class X, but her father Srinivasa Rao, a body-builder in his younger days, nudged her into Tuesday.
The top seeded Indian
taking interest in sports as he wanted to see her in the Olympics some day. That dream is going pair, who are one of the
to be a reality in less than three months’ time favourites to win a gold at
the Paris Olympics, found
it a tad difficult to negotiate
BHUBANESWAR the variety of serves dished
out by the Indonesians and
An academically-inclined Chinese at the Thomas
child is a dream realised Cup.
in most Indian households Both shuttlers will look to
and that’s why Olympic- address the slight drop in
bound runner Jyothika their level this week when
Sri Dandi aspired to be a they begin their campaign
doctor before she realised against Malaysia’s Nur
that her father would be Mohd Azriyn Ayub Azriyn
happier seeing her excel
and Tan Wee Kiong.With
the Olympic-bound shut-
tlers looking to fine-tune
their skills ahead of the
Paris Games, the BWF
world tour events will offer
the perfect platform for
them to test those new
strokes or tweaks that they
make to their games.
India’s top player in sin-
gles, HS Prannoy, a world
championships and Asian
Games bronze medallist,
too will have to find his
best footing after being
troubled by health issues
this season.
His win over Indonesia’s
Anthony Ginting was a
confidence booster but the
loss against China’s Shi
needs to close out such nar-
row games to get into the
best mental shape ahead of
the Olympics.
Kiran George and Sathish
Kumar Karunakaran are
also in fray, while Lakshya
Sen and PV Sindhu had
pulled out before the draw
was announced last week.
While Kiran will face
China’s Australia Open
winner Weng Hong Yang,
Sathish, who had claimed
the Odisha Masters title
last December, takes on a
qualifier in their respec-
tive opening matches.In
Sindhu’s absence,
Ashmita Chaliha, Malvika
Bansod and Aakarshi
Kashyap will look to keep
India’s flag fluttering with
a solid show in women’s
singles.

Shyaamnikhil ends 12-year

in sports.
Jyothika was part of the
Indian women’s 4x400m
relay team that qualified
for the Paris Olympics
during the World Relays
in Bahamas earlier this
month.
“I got 97 per cent in class
X and when I was in school
I actually wanted to be a
doctor. But, once I started
doing sports, I could not go
back and think about be-
coming a doctor,”
Jyothika, who is taking
part in the Federation Cup
here, in an interview.
“My father felt I have the
talent to do well in athlet-
ics and bring laurels for
the country in the
Olympics. Seeing his sac-
rifice and passion to
mould me into a builder when he was
successful athlete, I decid-
ed to follow his dreams.
“I did not tell him that I
wanted to be a doctor be-
cause I want to make him
happy. Till 2017, I did not
have interest in sports but
around 2020 I began taking
interest.” Her mother is a
home-maker and she has
an elder sister who got
married recently.
“My father was a body-
young but stopped as there
was no support from fami-
ly. Now he is a business-
man. He is very much in-
terested in sports and he
pushed me a lot and he
wants me to be in the
Olympics.
“Because of him, I did
not have to struggle much.
He takes care of every-
thing. So, now I want to
fulfil his dream of seeing
me do well in the
Olympics,” said Jyothika
who has a personal best of
52.73 seconds in individual
400m.
It all started after
Jyothika won races in
school meets and that was
when her father realised
the talent of his daugh-
ter.”I used to finish first in
annual school sports com-
petitions in 200m and 400m
and even in some races or-
ganised by clubs.
ELORDA CUP 2024
wait, becomes India’s 85th GM Nikhat Zareen off
DUBAI to a flying start
P Shayaamnikhil ASTANA (KAZAKHSTAN)
became India’s
85th Grandmas- India’s reigning world champion Nikhat
ter by completing Zareen (52kg) began her campaign with a
his third and fi- convincing 5-0 win against Kazakhstan’s
nal GM norm in Rakhymberdi Zhansaya on the opening
the just-conclud- day of the Elorda Cup 2024 here on Mon-
ed Dubai Police day.
Masters chess Minakshi (48kg) also made her way into
tournament, end- the next round with a 4-1 victory over
ing a 12-year-wait Gassymova Roxana of Kazakhstan.Con-
for the player versely, Anamika defeated
who took to the Zhumabayeva Arailym with a Referee
sport as an eight- Stops the Contest (RSC) win in the first
year-old. round of the 50kg category bout.
Shyaamnikhil Meanwhile, Ishmeet Singh (75kg) and
needed just one win and eight State championship opened up op- Sonia (54kg) bowed out after losing 0-5
draws to complete the long-over- portunities for me as I could play against Kazakhstan’s Armanuly Armat
due GM title which he achieved in Asian and age group world cham- and China’s Chang Yuan

Humpy, Pragg and Vaishali set to

the tournament.The 31-year-old pionship,” recalled Shayaam- respectively.Six-time Asian Champi-
conjured the requisite 2500 ELO nikhil.Hailing from Nagarcoil in onships medallist Shiva Thapa (63.5kg),
rating points, the minimum re- Tamil Nadu this was not an easy Sanjay (80kg) and Gaurav Chauhan (92+)
quirement to be a GM, way back ride for the player, who was will be in action on Tuesday alongside

compete in Norway Chess 2024

in 2012 with two Grandmaster known as one of the finest talents three other Indian boxers.The Boxing
norms but for the third one, he of his time.”He shifted his base to Federation of India (BFI) has sent a 21-
had to wait for 12 years. Chennai to pursue chess despite member squad for the prestigious tour-
“I started playing at the age of coming from a modest nament which has been witnessing the
STAVANGER (NORWAY) world’s first-ever equal female tour- eight, my parents taught me but I background and stayed with me,” participation of pugilists from strong
nament this year. could not play any tournament for said his former coach K boxing nations such as Kazakhstan, Chi-
Indian Grandmasters Koneru The Norway Chess Women’s Tour- three years. Winning the under-13 Visweswaran. na, India, Japan and Uzbekistan.
Humpy, Vaishali Rameshbabu and nament, to be held in the same hall
Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu are concurrently, with the same number
set to compete in the 12th edition of
the prestigious Norway Chess Cham-
of players as the Norway Chess, will
have the same format and an equiva-
Injured Ramit FEDERATION CHIEF SANJAY SINGH CLEARS

Tandon bows out

WFI, not IOA, will decide which
pionship scheduled to take place lent prize fund. With their partners
from May 27 to June 7 at SR-Bank’s EY, the SpareBank 1 SR-Bank Foun-
main building, here. dation, SpareBank 1 SR-Bank, and NEW DELHI
The prestigious event will feature Stavanger Municipality, Norway

wrestler to compete in Paris

World No.1 Magnus Carlsen (Nor- Chess aim to provide women chess India’s Ramit Tandon was forced to re-
way), World No.3 Hikaru Nakamura players with more opportunities and tire due to an injury in his second-
(USA), current World Champion within the top 100 players globally, a comparable prize fund, fostering round match against world No 7 Mo-
Ding Liren (China), Women’s World no women are listed. There has been participation and giving a platform hamed ElShorbagy at the Squash
Champion Ju Wenjun (China), Lei a scarcity of women in top-level pri- to aspiring female chess players.In NEW DELHI In the recently concluded World
Tingjie (China) among others.Popu- vate competitions due to limited invi- this edition, the brother-sister duo of Qualifiers in Istanbul, which was
larly known as the ‘Wimbledon of tations and unequal prize money. Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali will After six Indian grapplers secured the final Paris Olympics qualifying
Chess’, Norway Chess annually ex- Hence, to address this issue and set a make their debut in the Norway Olympic quotas, Wrestling Federa- event for wrestlers, Aman Sehrawat
tend invitations to top Grandmasters new benchmark for gender equality, Chess and the Norway Chess tion of India (WFI) president Sanjay and Nisha Dahiya took India’s num-
from the world rating list. However, Norway Chess has introduced the Women’s Tournament respectively. Singh has said that the federation ber of quotas to six in wrestling.An-
will decide which wrestler will be tim Panghal (53kg) earned India’s
participating at the 2024 Paris first quota from the 2023 World
SPORTS DIGEST Games, “not the Indian Olympic As- Wrestling Championships while Vi-
sociation (IOA)”
He said that the
Adarsh, Manu top qualifications in There are nine of them from among those who had made
entries, including Neeraj and Jena. They will directly
fresh trials will be
fourth 25m Olympic selection trial compete in the final on Wednesday,” Indian athletics head
conducted to pick the
final squad for the
BHOPAL: Manu Bhaker and Adarsh Singh emerged winners coach Radhakrishnan Nair said, quoting the Athletics showpiece
in the qualification rounds of the women’s 25m pistol and Federation of India’s qualification rules. event.”Wrestling Fed-
men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol respectively in the Olympic
Selection Trial here
Manchester United wins Women’s FA Cup eration of India (WFI)
TOTTENHAM LONDON: Manchester United won its first will decide which
Monday.
major trophy by routing Tottenham 4-0 in the Women’s FA wrestler will partici-
All five shooters in
Cup final at Wembley. Ella Toone’s stunning long-range pate in the Paris
both men’s and
strike in first-half stoppage time set up victory for Marc Olympics, not IOA,
women’s categories
Skinner’s team. United cruised to victory after the break World Championships in Cairo, and there will be fresh
will now clash in the
Egypt.World No 36 Tandon was trailing trials as well, WFI
final at the M.P. State
3-4 in the second game when he sus- president Sanjay
Shooting Academy
tained a calf injury following an inspir- Singh said. Earlier,
ranges on
ing performance in the opening game there were reports
Tuesday.Anish Bhanwala took a healthy four-point lead
which former world champion that IOA will take a fi-
from the first precision stage into the second rapid-fire
ElShorbagy won 11-8. nal call on wrestlers
stage, only to be pipped by Adarsh on countback, after
It was Tandon’s first meeting with the but the WFI has
both posted scores of 583 with the same number of 24-
former Egyptian-English world No cleared, “we have got
hits in the inner 10-ring.
1.World No. 36 Indian, who gained a di- approval/authority/recognition nesh Phogat (50kg), Anshu Malik
Ankur Goel too shot the same score but had 10 fewer hits
rect entry into the tournament, regis- from the UWW (United World (57kg) and Reetika Hooda (76kg)
in the inner ring, while Vijayveer Sidhu clinched fourth
tered a comfortable win over World No. Wrestling). And it will be our duty added further quotas at the Asian
with 581, scoring just one inner-10 more than Bhavesh
57, Faraz Khan of the United States, 11- to pick the team. How can IOA take Qualifiers held in Bishkek last
Shekhawat.Olympian Manu defeated Esha Singh on inner-
1, 11-3, 11-3 in the first round. that call.” month.
10s after both shot an identical 586. Rhythm Sangwan
came in third while Abhidnya Patil (582) and Simranpreet
Kaur Brar (564) were fourth and fifth respectively. through two goals from Lucia Garcia and another from
Rachel Williams.United quickly made up for defeat to PREMIER LEAGUE
Neeraj, Jena to compete Chelsea in last year’s final by lifting the trophy 12 months
directly in Fed Cup finals
BHUBANESWAR: Star Indian javelin throwers Neeraj
Chopra and Kishore Jena have been given direct entry into
on. Toone’s wonder goal broke Tottenham’s resistance
when she curled the ball into the top corner from around
20 yards (meters) in the third minute of time added on in
Arsenal beat Man Utd to take title race to final day
the first half.Williams doubled United’s lead with a
the Federation Cup finals here on May 15, having already
powerful header nine minutes after the break. MANCHESTER Juventus secure next season’s spot impacting Champions League qualification,
Atalanta took a crucial 2-1 win against Roma,
Djokovic follows Nadal to Arsenal regained top spot from Manchester Juventus secured a Champions League spot thanks to Charles De Ketelaere’s quick brace.
early exit at Italian Open City heading into the final week of the Pre- for next season despite being held to a 1-1 Leverkusen extend unbeaten run
ROME: Novak Djokovic’s performance was so poor that mier League season with a 1-0 win at Man- draw by already-relegated Salernitana. This
even the 24-time Grand Slam champion admitted it was chester United. outcome was aided by Atalanta’s 2-1 victory Leverkusen extended their unbeaten streak
“concerning.” Djokovic put on one of his worst displays at It’s the first time in 25 years that Arsenal over Roma. Juventus, in a slump, had man- to 50 games after a dominant 5-0 victory over
one of his have been involved in the title race on the fi- aged only one win in their last nine Serie A 10-man Bochum, while Bayern Munich se-
favorite nal day of the season. The Gunners completed matches prior to Sunday, contrasting with cured the second spot with a 2-0 win over
tournaments as the league double over Manchester United for Salernitana’s early relegation from Europe’s Wolfsburg in the closing matches of Bundesli-
he was upset by the first time since 2006/07 and we’re now top five leagues. ga’s 33rd round.
29th-seeded back on top of the table, though Manchester Despite dominating possession, Juve fell Bochum, facing relegation, started strong
Alejandro Tabilo City have a game in hand.Leandro Trossard’s behind in the 27th minute when Niccolo but couldn’t capitalize on their early opportu-
in the third round close-range finish in the 20th minute proved Pierozzi connected with Junior Sambia’s cor- nities. In the 11th minute, Philipp Hofmann
of the Italian to be the difference between the sides but the ner for a twisting header. narrowly missed a header from Kevin
Open. It was Gunners, who needed a win to regain the top The Bianconeri hit the woodwork three Stoger’s corner. The game’s momentum shift-
bettered the minimum qualification mark of 75m multiple spot after rivals Manchester City’s emphatic times but only found an equalizer in stoppage ed dramatically in the 15th minute when
times in their careers. Olympic and world champion Djokovic’s first
match since 4-0 triumph at Fulham, were given plenty of time when Manuel Locatelli flicked on a cor- Felix Passlack was sent off for a last-man foul
Chopra is coming off a fairly good outing at the Doha anxious moments by the likes of Amad and ner for Adrien Rabiot to score at the back on Nathan Tella.Despite initial misses by Pa-
Diamond League last week where he finished second with accidentally
getting knocked on the head by a water bottle while Alejandro Garnacho. Arsenal move one point post. trik Schick and Granit Xhaka, Leverkusen
a throw of 88.38m. Asian Games silver-winner Jena’s clear of City, who still have a game in hand This draw left Juventus and Bologna both capitalized on their numerical advantage,
Diamond League debut, however, ended in signing autographs after his opening win on Friday. “I
managed to sleep okay. I had headaches. The next day or against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday, on 67 points. With two rounds remaining and opening the scoring in the 41st minute with a
disappointment as he was eliminated after three rounds meaning the title remains in the hands of Pep five Italian teams set to participate in next volley from Schick off Arthur’s precise cross.
with 76.31m being his best. “All those who have crossed yesterday was pretty fine, so I thought it’s okay. Maybe it
is okay. Maybe it’s not,” Djokovic said. Guardiola’s side.City then host West Ham season’s Champions League, both clubs have They doubled their lead shortly before half-
75m will not compete in the qualifying round on Tuesday. United on the final day, while Arsenal are at secured their spots, sitting seven points clear time through Viktor Boniface’s penalty, re-
home to Everton. of sixth-placed Roma.In another key match ports Xinhua.
 Spieth gets another Grand Slam shot
KENTUCKY (USA): The attention starts building weeks, if not months, ahead of the one
major keeping Rory McIlroy from the career Grand Slam, the most elite club in golf. It’s
like that every year, and it doesn’t make it any easier when he gets to the Masters.Jordan
Spieth should be able to appreciate the feeling. Except that he really doesn’t.
SPORTS
INDORE | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024

INDORE SPORTS

MP girls suffer heartbreaking defeat Rahasya, Hitarth, Harshita, Ayramove up

INDORE: Anticipation turned
into agony for home fans,
who left the venue dejected
as hosts Madhya Pradesh
girls lost the semifinal by a
whisker against Karnataka in
the 74th Junior National
Basketball Championship.
Karnataka thus marched into
the final, winning by just one
point (63-62).
Karnataka had the upper
hand from the beginning,
making a number of raids
deep into the rival territory.
The hosts’ team gradually
made their mark, picking up
points. Captain Gunvi
Agarwal put up a good
show, chipping in with 16
points. She got support from
Ananya Maheshwari(14
points) and Khushi Pal Singh
(8 points).
Even after trailing at crucial
junctures, MP girls fought
tooth and nail. The entire
team never looked jittery. But
towards the end, things went
in favour of the visitors, who
put more pressure. Their
main players were Aditi
Subramaniam, who logged
21 points, the highest for the
side. Aadya Gowda (15
points) and Aadya
Nagalinga(12 points) caught
the eyes for their sudden
pace and excellent game
plan.
At the close, it seemed to be
anybody’s match as both
sides refused to fold up. Just
before the final hooter,
Karnataka raced ahead,
which reminded Javed
Miandad smashing Chetan
Sharma for a last-ball six to
steer Pakistan to victory in
the Australasia Cup final in
Sharjah way back in 1986.
In another girls’ semifinal,
Punjab overcame
Maharashtra 68-66. For the
winning team, Nadar Dhillon
scored 23 points while
Komalpreet Kaur contributed
22 points. Chanda Gautam
also collected 14 points.
Ananya Bhawsarpicked up 24
points for Maharashtra and
Louisa Sharma got 12 points.
RAJASTHAN BOYS ENTER
FINAL: In the boys’
semifinals, Rajasthan
defeated Uttar Pradesh 84-
59 points. Captain
Mohammad Ishan scored
the maximum 26 points for
the winning team. Mayank
Java scored 20 points and
Nitish Kumar scored 17
points. For Uttar Pradesh,
captain Kunal Kumar Singh
logged 26 points
Other results (Fifth to
eighth place).GIRLS:Haryana
girls defeated Gujarat 72-54
points, Tamil Nadu defeated
Telangana 79-54 points.
Tejasvi M scored 21 points
for the winning team.
ShajitaNarul 14 and A.
Jeffrin scored 11 points. On
behalf of Telangana team,
captain Parinishita YS
collected 18 points for her
team. MupariSahasra scored
10 points.
BOYS:Punjab defeated
Haryana 89-79, Tamil Nadu
defeated Kerala 77-74)
(For ninth to 10th place)
GIRLS:Uttar Pradesh
defeated Rajasthan 50-30.
BOYS: Andhra Pradesh
defeated Maharashtra 95-86
points.
INDORE: Rahasya, Hitarth,
Harshita, Ayrareached the
pre-quarterfinals of the Pure
Shores India PvtLtdAll-India
Talent Series Sub Junior
Tennis Tournament. Madhya
Pradesh’s RahasyaBahri,
HitarthSurana,
HarshitaVishwakarma,
AyraLodhi entered the pre-
quarterfinals.
The competition was
inaugurated by Pramod
Kumar Jainand ArjunDhupar,
Trustee, Indore Tennis Club.
The programme was
conducted by Irfan Ahmed.
RESULTS
Boys: Under-14 (Main
Round)-RahasyaBahri (MP)
beatYug Jain (MP) 6-2, 6-
1,Hitarth Surana (MP) beat
Almir Ali Warsi (MP) 6-3, 6-
4,Hussain Sefi (MP)
beatNikunjPatidar (MP) 6-0,
6-4,Rishav Rawalh (Maha)
beatVishwasShivansh
Agarwal (MP) 6-0, 6-1
RudraPatwardhan (Maha)
beat Rishi Choudhary (Maha)
6-1, 6-3,Krishiv Patel (Maha)
beat Ojas Mishra (MP)
6-1, 6-1
Girls: (Main Round)-
HarshitaVishwakarma (MP)
beat Vishwa Anya Khan (MP)
6-0, 6-1,AyraLodhi (MP) beat
VishwaDivyanshi Agarwal
(MP) 6-4, 6-0,Anya Faljale
(MP) beat VishwaPahal
Mehta (Guj) 3-6, 7-5, 6-
3,Anya Rathi (MP) beat
VishwaHaniya Masood (MP)
6-1, 6-2,Vaidehi Shukla (MP)
beat VishwaYeshaGhankani
(MP) 6-0, 6-0,Priyamvada
Yadav (MP) beat
VishwaSharanya Joshi (MP)
6-0, 6-0.
Rapid chess meet
INDORE: Sanjay Kasliwal
Memorial two-day prize
chess tournament organized
by All-Indore Chess
Association will begin on
Wednesday. Organizing
secretary Anil
Fatehchandanisaid
thewcompetition will be held
in three categories, Under-9,
Under-13 and Open
category. A total of 32
players will be given cash
awards. And 22 players will
be given trophies. This
competition to be held in
five rounds, will be held in
the campus of Mahavir Bal
Sanskar Kendra.

NC Indorians emerge winner Basketball camp

INDORE: Jain Shwetambar Social Group PM Parivar
organized a T-20 cricket match on Sunday, in which
INDORE: Basketball Fundamental Skills
Competition was at a basketball
summer camp being organized by
Street Bowlers Academy, Indore at St
Paul’s School. Around 91 children of
the academy aged between 4 to 20
years participated under the guidance
coaches Niharika Pal and Pooja Laddha.
The chief guest present on the
occasion was DrAvinash Yadav.

Abha Khatua sets national record in women’s shot put

BHUBANESWAR: Asian round hurl of 18.41m
Championships silver at the Kalinga Stadium,
medallist Abha Khatua set she became the sole
eight teams were selected from the group.Members NC national record en route a national record
Indorians team emerged winner and the title of Player of gold in women’s shot put holder.Her effort was
the Match went to VaibhavDeshalhara.The best bowler with a massive throw of well short of the
18.41m during the second Olympics qualifying
award went to Janil Bhandari. day of the National mark of 18.80m, which
Those present on the occasion, were social workers Federation Cup Athletics no Indian woman has
Jineshwar Jain, Sanjay Lunawat, VirendraNahar, Kiran Competition here on Monday. ever been able to
Sirolia,AtulKankaria, group president VikasTarikaHundia, Born in West Bengal but representing reach. The qualifying window ends on June
NaveenVarsha Jain,SwapnilRuchiSancheti,president Maharashtra here, Khatua was the joint 30.Uttar Pradesh’s Kiran Baliyan (16.54m)
Kailash Nahar, general secretary Vimal, group patron record holder of 18.06m with Manpreet and Delhi’s Srishti Vig (15.86m) finished
SanjaySunitaNahar and PriteshAnita Ostwal. Kaur before this event. But with her fifth second and third respectively.
 CLICK ON PUZZLES TO PLAY PUZZLES
MUMBAI | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024

Crossword # 1137

Word Search
Across 32 Mountain system in Down 24 Be vanquished
1 Audition tape southern Europe 1 Ditch or discard 25 Be in the front
5 Spiral lock of hair 33 "And" in Hindi 2 Very wicked 26 Needle case
9 Female ruff 34 Popular girl's name - 3 Carte du jour 27 Reaps
12 Eye part "Nan" anagram? 4 Porridge 28 Enjoyment
ingredient 31 First number
13 "Solo" anagram for a 35 Incorrect
5 Greedily desire or 32 Guru Dutt's 1954
capital city in Europe 36 Split
Riddler 14 Intel competitor 38 Evergreen tree
hanker for production (3,4)
6 Junkie 34 Grown-ups
Use 4 4's and only 4 4's along with any mathe- 15 Make coins 39 Loire's contents 7 Literary initials 35 Capable
matical operators to make a total of 3. 16 Volcano near Naples 40 Mountain range in 8 Paris art museum 37 Integrated
18 He fixes pipes and taps Central India 9 Monsoon Avionics Comp.
20 Goods vehicle 44 Repudiate; disown showers? 38 Distinguished,
21 Consume food 47 Once more 10 Large Australian famous
Solution: Our answer: (4+4+4)/4 = 3
22 Cunning; crafty 48 Painting, sculpture, etc.? bird 40 Faction
11 Walsh and O'Neill 41 Biblical word
25 Hungarian composer of 49 It ebbs and flows
17 Value Added Tax, 42 Exposes flax or
"The Merry Widow" 50 Indian wheaten flour
abbr. hemp to moisture?
28 Charge 51 Affirmative 19 Exclude 43 Not at home
29 Assoc. Med. Off. 52 Arctic transport 22 Ireland's ___ 44 24 hours
30 And others, in Latin (2,2) 53 A __ picture : an Lingus 45 Anger
31 Mine and thine optimistic overview? 23 Ballpark figures 46 Be unwell

SUDOKU
43 Away, 44 Day, 45 Ire, 46 Ail.
38 Famed, 40 Side, 41 Unto, 42 Rets,
Paar, 34 Adults, 35 Fit, 37 IAC,
27 Harvests, 28 Fun, 31 One, 32 Aar
24 Lose, 25 Lead, 26 Etui,
17 VAT, 19 Bar, 22 Aer, 23 Umps,
8 Louvre, 9 Rainfall, 10 Emu, 11 Eds,
4 Oatmeal, 5 Covet, 6 User, 7 RLS,
Down: 1 Dump, 2 Evil, 3 Menu,
Grams 53 Rosy.

Can you find the words connected in one way or the other with the theme indicated by
49 Tide, 50 Atta, 51 Yes, 52 Sled,
44 Disclaim, 47 Anew, 48 Art,
the title in today's Word Search? 38 Fir, 39 Eau, 40 Satpura,
The words may be read horizontally, vertically or diagonally either forwards or backwards,
33 Aur, 34 Ann, 35 False, 36 Divide,
29 AMO, 30 Et al, 31 Our, 32 Alps,
but always in straight lines. Use a ruler to cross them through as you find them. 21 Eat, 22 Artful, 25 Lehar, 28 Fee,
16 Vesuvius, 18 Plumber, 20 Van,
12 Uvea, 13 Oslo, 14 AMD, 15 Mint,
Across: 1 Demo, 5 Curl, 9 Ree,

Anagram Milligram
Cardiogram Monogram
Centigram Pentagram
Cryptogram Program
Deprogram Radiogram
Diagram Reprogram
Engram Sonogram
Epigram Telegram
Hexagram
Ideogram WHAT TO DO: Fill in the
grid so that every row, every
Mammogram column and every 3x3 box
contains the digits 1 to 9.
Every puzzle has only one
correct solution.
 Manipur: 98% clear T he Council of Higher Secondary Education
Manipur (COHSEM) on Monday declared the
stream. L Malemnganbi Laishram bagged the first
position in science, officials said.

class 12 board
class 12 board exam results with 97.63% students According to officials, the pass percentage for arts
clearing the test. Last year, the pass percentage was stood at 94.35, science (98.91) and commerce
88.68. (93.51). In all, 31,128 students had appeared for

MUMBAI | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024 exams Aiena Naorem secured the first position in
commerce while Th Sheityajit topped the arts
the exam held between February and March..
—PTI/Imphal

CBSE results: Girls outshine Region-wise CBSE

boys in classes 10 and 12 class 10 and 12 results
SIMPLE VISHWAKARMA /
KRISHA BHATT / MUMBAI

MUMBAI Trivandrum leads the Cen-

Girls have outshone boys in
the Central Board of Second-
ary Education (CBSE) re-
sults of classes 10 and 12, an-
nounced on Monday. While
the pass percentage for class
10 stood at 93.60%, with
2,095,467 students clearing
the exams out of 2,238,727
students who appeared for it,
for class 12, the pass percent-
age was 87.98%. Out of
1,621,224 students who took
the exams this year, 1,426,420
cleared it. Compared to last
year, the number of students
who scored above 90% in the
CBSE class 12 exams in-
creased by over 1,400, and the
number of students who
scored above 95% increased
by 4,000.
This year, the total pass
percentage in CBSE class 10
is 93.6%. The girls have yet
again outshined the boys.
Students in jubilant mode after the declaration of CBSE results, in Nagpur Monday.
The overall pass percentage
for girls is 94.75%, whereas
it’s 92.71% for boys. The over-
all pass percentage for trans-
gender students is 91.30%.
In CBSE class 12, this
year's pass rate for girl stu-
dents is 91.52%, up from
90.68% in 2023, while for
boys, it’s 85.12%, which was
PHOTO: ANI
84.67% in 2023. This year,
50% of transgender students
have passed the class 12
board exam; however, it was
60% last year.
tral Board of Secondary Edu-
cation (CBSE) class 10 results
with an overall passing per-
centage of 99.75%. Vijaywada
with 99.6%, Chennai with
99.3% and Bengaluru with
99.26%, follow it closely.
This year, Ajmer has
recorded a passing percent-
age of 97.1% for CBSE class
10 and Pune has an overall
pass percentage of 96.46%.
The list also includes Delhi
East, Delhi West, Chandigarh
and Patna with 94.45%,
94.18%, 94.14% and 92.91%,
respectively.
Whereas Kerala's Trivan-
drum has noted the best over-
all pass percentage, Bihar's Students of St. Thomas' Girls Senior Secondary School celebrate after the announcement of the CBSE
Patna has recorded the board result, in New Delhi on Monday. —ANI PHOTO_MOHD ZAKIR
lowest pass percentage this
year. For CBSE class 12, Vi- followed by Bengaluru with 90.26%.
Trivandrum has also jayawada has a passing per- 96.95%, Delhi West with This year, Bhopal has
recorded the best overall per- centage of 99.04%, whereas 95.64%, Delhi East with recorded the lowest pass per-
centage in CBSE class 12 re- Chennai has a passing per- 94.51%, Chandigarh with centage of 82.46% in the class
sults. centage of 98.47%. These are 91.09% and Panchkula with 12 exams.

Ryan International girl scores Chess and table tennis helped

99.6% in CBSE class 10
CHAITALI DHARAMSHI / MUMBAI
Hiya Jain from Ryan International School,
Kandivali, who scored 99.6% in her class 10th
CBSE, said, "I am currently preparing for my
engineering entrance exam and am deeply
grateful to my parents for guiding me and
supporting me whenever I needed help and
emphasising the importance of taking
breaks."
"From participating in competitions and
Model United Nations (MUNs) to attending
basketball training every morning, my expe-
Hiya Jain riences at school have enriched my journey,"
Jain added.
99.6% scorer relieve stress
Anjali Bowen, the principal of Ryan Inter- CHAITALI DHARAMSHI / MUMBAI teachers for his success, saying, “I feel
national School, Kandivali, said, “Congratu- elated and wish to thank my parents
lations to all parents and teachers for the ex- Agastya Remani from Narayana E- and teachers who supported me
emplary performance of our students. We Techno School, Andheri, who scored throughout the year. I plan to pursue
are proud to announce an impressive 99.6% in Central Board of Secondary engineering and I'm preparing for the
success in our pass percentage rate. While Education’s class 10 board exams, is a JEE entrance exam."
the full score has seen a reduction, this may FIDE-rated chess player, who credited With a perfect score in Social Sci-
be attributed to the emphasis placed on con- chess and table tennis as his stress- ence, Sanskrit and Maths, Ramani
ceptual assessments. Each year, CBSE en- busters. shared that he made his own notes. "I
courages this approach, providing training "I played Chess and Table Tennis was regular in my efforts throughout
for teachers and offering a sufficient reposi- for some time as it helped me to the year and studied NCERT thor-
tory of resources on their website for refer- relieve myself of the stress due to oughly and for Sanskrit, my mother
ence. We applaud the dedication of our edu- boards," Ramani told The Free Press coached me, and through regular ex-
cators and the hard work of our students in Agastya Ramani Journal. ams conducted by the school, I ob-
adapting to these standards.” Ramani credited his parents and tained a perfect score," he added.

Meet the toppers of CBSE 10 + 12 board exams Here are some of the toppers of
CBSE 10 and 12 exams from different schools
10TH GRADE 12TH GRADE

BILLABONG HIGH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, MALAD ORCHIDS THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, KOPARKHAIRANE GOPI BIRLA MEMORIAL SCHOOL, MALABAR HILL

Bhuvi Gupta Swar Shah Sancia Kairo Maana Sachdeva Tanush Rajpurohit Aahi Khandelwal Aditya Yadava Abhishek Verma Anish Lingyat Rajvini Rout Sneha Hansrajano Rishit Ajmera Hariq Landge Aaditya Parikh
(98.8%) (98.8%) (98.4%) (97.8%) (97%) (97.80%) (97.6%) (97%) (97%) (93.6%) (93.4%) (92.0%) (89.6%) (85.8%)
THE SOMAIYA NARAYANA E-TECHNO, THANE
D.A.V. PUBLIC SCHOOL, THANE SCHOOL,
VIDYAVIHAR

Arunav Kriteesh Sharma Krishiv Chawla Sannidhi Patil

Bhattacharyya (97%) (97%) (97%) (97%)
Krishiv Goyal Riona Jayesh Satyam Sharma Mayank Panday Bhargav Patil
Asmi More Avani Malgaonkar Shriyans Sunderrajan Srivathsav P. Mihika Iyer RELIANCE FOUNDATION SCHOOL, KOPARKHAIRANE (97.80%) (96.60%) (94.80%) (94.00%) (93.80%)
(98.8%) (98.6%) (98.6%) (98.4%) (99.2%)
ORCHIDS THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, KOPARKHAIRANE
NARAYANA E-TECHNO, THANE

Aviral Rawat Neil Dandekar Yash Kusumanchi Ria Jain

(99%) (98.4%) (97.8%) (97.4%)
Darshan Ahire Aaditya Kini Samruddhi Sathe Dishita Ahuja Rangoli Bohra
Ansh Gupta Arya Kumar Saina Patil Ranveer Munde Yeshwanth NC (96%) (94%) (93%) (92%) (92%)
(97.6%) (97.2%) (96.6%) (96.2%) (96.2%)
RELIANCE FOUNDATION SCHOOL, KOPARKHAIRANE
PODAR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, AMBERNATH

Lahari Ventrapragada Shivangi Mishra Arnav Bhatnagar Rithvick Gupta

(97.4%) (97.2%) (97.2%) (97.2%)

VIBGYOR, MALAD VIBGYOR,

AIROLI Sarvaarth Narang Ishaan Bhatta Kinjal Ambade Rudra Dudhat Tanish Trisal
SHAURYA SINGH ESHAN CHAVAN ATHARVA PEDNEKAR RUSHIL SAKHARE TANUSHREE YADAV (98.20%) (97.40%) (96%) (95.8%) (95.6%)
(95.40%) (94.40%) (93.60%) (93.40%) (92.20%)
BILLABONG HIGH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL D.A.V., THANE
PODAR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, POWAI VIBGYOR, Toppers’
KOLHAPUR
gallery
Bhuvi Gadodia Kushagra Kundu Purvi Anpat compiled by
(98.60%) (97.80%) (97.60_) Akshata Anand
(96.80%)
Yakita
ORCHIDS THE
Somani.
VIBGYOR, Kiya Data Ishita Goyal Aashi Singh
INTERNATIONAL BORIVALI (95.2%) (Science) (93%) Commerce (94.4%) Humanities
Kedar Chande
(94.4%) Commerce To feature
Avishi Maheshwari Samvita Kannan Shivi Gupta Arya Saibannava SCHOOL MALAD VIBGYOR,
(98.8%) (98.8%) (98.8%) (99%) WEST BANGALORE THE SOMAIYA SCHOOL, VIDYAVIHAR
your school’s
toppers write
to yakita.
somani@fpj.
co.in
Jayden Machado Shaunak Roy
for more
Shiv Gupte Abhinav Chopra Arghya Sinha Chinmay Suryawanshi Riya Joshi Anandita Tantry
(98.4%) (98.2%) (98.2%) (98.8%) (99%) (94.5%) (94.5%) (98.40%)
Meghna Hari
(98.20%) Science
Sai Ambati
(96.60%) Commerce
Ananya Pathak
(96.60%) Humanities
information.
 Steve ctor Steve Buscemi is ok after he was punched in the face by a man on a New York
Buscemi is A City street, his publicist said on Sunday. The 66-year-old star of Fargo and Boardwalk
Empire was assaulted late on Wednesday morning in Manhattan and taken to a
okay after nearby hospital with bruising, swelling and bleeding to his left eye. "Steve Buscemi
was assaulted in Mid-Town Manhattan, another victim of a random act of violence in the
being city," according to a statement issued on Sunday from his publicist. "He is ok and appreciates
everyone's well wishes." The assault was first reported by the New York Post. The New York
punched Police Department put out a nameless statement on the assault Wednesday. — AP
INDORE | TUESDAY | MAY 14, 2024

Love comes
OOPS
Abdu Rozik
Actress opens up
deletes about his
Mother's
in all sizes
wedding
Day Post guest list and
more

MOMENT!
after a RIA SHARMA
major
shared his engagement photos on In-
stagram, however, he did not reveal

goof up
S
inger and Bigg Boss 16 con-
testant Abdu Rozik is all set
to marry his fiance Amira in
CJ DESK or contacts and just the UAE in July 2024. The so-
confidently posted a cial media sensation has been
his bride-to-be's face. Abdu explained,
"I come from a country where we are
not allowed to show the faces of our
wives to people. We both are very reli-
gious. We follow the same culture and

G
lobal star Priyanka Chopra
shared adorable pictures with
her daughter Malti Marie as well
her mother Madhu Chopra on
the occasion of Mother's Day. The ac-
tress penned a heartfelt note for her
mother and said she is blessed to have
Malti in her life. However, Priyanka
goofed up before sharing the post on her
official Instagram.
The actress sparked confu-
sion among her followers
and fans after she deleted a
social media post which was
dedicated to a young girl she
referred to as the one who
made her a mommy.
"To this beauty who made
me a mommy," she cap-
tioned the post which fea-
tured a picture of a cute girl
wearing an off-white dress.
However, it was deleted per-
manently from her account,
seconds after it was posted.
The now-deleted post left
her followers and fans con-
fused as they asked who
that little girl is. A screen-
shot of Priyanka's post has
gone viral on Reddit. Tak-
ing to the comments section
of the post, many users
asked about the girl and a
section of users claimed
that she is Joe Jonas and
Sophie Turner's daughter.
Soon after the picture was shared on
Reddit, a user commented, "I suspect
someone on her team meant to post this
to their personal Instagram and didn’t re-
alize they were logged into PC’s account."
"Wait what… who is this and why is she
calling her, her daughter?" asked a user.
"Bold of Ius to assume pc handles her
own SM....looks like a staff error," wrote
another user.
Another user commented, "Don't under-
estimate the problem of hypermetropia.
She probably wasn't wearing her glasses
photo she thought was making headlines ever since he an- even she is not comfortable sharing
her daughter. That Or nounced his wedding. He got engaged her pictures on social media."
someone in the PR is get- on April 24 in the presence of family Abdu said he wishes to invite all his
ting fired." members in an intimate ceremony. In friends from India and different parts
"Who is this kid? so bizarre. you an exclusive interview with The Free of the world, including actor and Bigg
don’t just on accident post a ran- Press Journal, Abdu opened up Boss host Salman Khan. "Salman
dom picture, theyre like 3 about his wedding plans, how he met bhai is bada bhaijaan and I am his
steps," wrote another person. Amira, and more. chota bhaijaan (laughs). Without him,
Later, along with a series of Sharing his excitement ahead of his my wedding is incomplete. He called
family pictures, Priyanka wedding, Abdu gushed, "I am very me to congratulate me and showered
wrote, "Happy happy and excited. I am also a bit his blessings on me. He promised me
Mother’s Day to nervous as I want to be a good and that he will attend my wedding and
everyone who caring husband. It has been my said we will have fun. I will also in-
has been lucky dream to get married. I am so vite all my Bigg Boss co-contestants
enough to have happy to have found my and share my happiness with them.
had the love, love. My wedding day I might also come to Mumbai with
care and pro- will be very special. I will Amira after a few months," he
tection of a call everyone. Media will said.
mother and or also be there. I want Abdu also reacted to those who
mother figures. everyone to pray for me." called his wedding announcement
I’ve been so Opening up about his a 'publicity stunt'. "Just because I
blessed with wife-to-be and how he met am not like others, people think I
having not just her, Abdu shared, "Ami- cannot get married. Just like
my mother or ra is a sweet 19 year everyone else, I also have a
grandmothers old girl. She is from heart. I want to love some-
have an incredible Sharjah and is cur- one, get married and
impression on my rently studying have babies. There
upbringing but also business ad- are so many people
my aunts. It truly ministration. who are physically
takes a village." She loves and challenged. But they
She added, "As a new respects me as settle down and live
mother navigating what well as my family. their life happily. I am aware
my version of MMs up- What I love the most how people are saying it's a
bringing will be like, I about her is that she is prank and that I'm doing all
have sweet nostalgia of very caring. We met for this for publicity. But the
mine reflected in every the first time at an Ital- whole world is watching
day with her. My mother and mother ian restaurant. I was what I'm doing through so-
in law have been absolutely magical there with my friends and cial media. I have over 8.2
in this journey. I could not have she had also come there million followers on Insta-
been able to balance all that I do along with her friends. gram. I will never fake some-
without them. Thank you @dr- Amira then asked her thing like that," he said.
madhuakhourichopra @mamad- friends to get my contact On being criticised for get-
jonas And my angels.. @malti- number. They approached ting married at a young age
marie thank you for choosing me my friends who instantly of 20, Abdu said, "I have
to be your mama and @nickjonas shared it. She messaged worked hard in life. I am look-
thank you for making me a me and then we started ing after seven members of
mama. Parenting with you is chatting and understand- my family. Yes, I am only 20
what dreams are made of. Thank ing each other. We started years old but I understand
you for such a special day today. going out and fell in love." life. I am a very strong per-
Very grateful." On May 10, the singer son," he signed off.

PICS: VARINDER CHAWLA

THAT TIME
CJ DESK CAUGHT ON CAM Celebs were snapped as they
were out and about in Mumbai
he anticipation

T mounts as the
grandest event in
Sunny Hinduja
dons formal
Shilpa Shetty
Kundra amps
Rohit
Saraf opts

OF THE YEAR
the world of cine- for smart
look at the red her fashion casuals as
ma, the Cannes Film
Festival, is all set to take carpet of an game in an ivory he heads
place from May 14 to May award show pantsuit at an out in the
25, 2024. The biggest faces award show city
from across the globe will
be seen gracing the red
carpet. Cannes
This year's festival
promises some exception-
Film Festival
al movie screenings, fresh
celebrity arrivals and pres-
2024 will begin
tigious awards for deserv- from May 14
ing talents. As we eagerly
await the 77th Cannes onwards
Film Festival, here are all
the details that you must
know.
The official website re-
ported that all the exclu-
sive content from the event
will be broadcast
on France Televi-
sion within

Wedding bells soon

France. For in-
ternational au-
diences, Brut
will be broad-
casting the ctress Esha Gupta, who is known for her strong social
Cannes Film
Festival
2024. Addi-
A media presence, keeps her fans hooked to her with
her stunning pictures and videos on social media. She
is dating Spanish-entrepreneur Manuel Campos Gual-
tionally, lar and in one of her recent interviews, she opened up
you about her plans of getting married.
can watch Esha and Manuel have been reportedly dating each other for
the event almost five years. The actress told a media outlet, "Marriage
live would happen anytime soon. I'm focusing more on just my
stream- health. Eventually, whenever down the line, I'll get married,
ing and then down the line, I have kids. I've always dreamed of
from having kids. That's always been important. Kids and dogs
the are two aspects of my life that I can never think of living
film fes- without."
tival's Opening up about her relationship with Manuel, Esha said
YouTube she was single for almost three-and-a-half years before meet-
channel ing him in 2019. "Since then, we both knew that we were seri-
and official ous about our relationship. We were very clear that if it goes
sites. The live well, our end goal is marriage. We want to get married and
stream will en- have kids. Manuel knows how much I love babies, and he's
compass a wide ready for fatherhood," the actress said. Madhuri
array of content, in- Dixit Nene
cluding the glamorous red looks
carpet, exclusive, press radiant on
conferences and other cap- the sets of
tivating events. Dance
Bollywood is all set to Deewane 4
grace the Cannes 2024 red
carpet. Notable Bollywood
faces, Aishwarya Rai
Bachchan, Aditi Rao Hy-
dari and Sobhita Dhuli-
pala will be seen at the Naila
festival. Grrewal
Many influencers looks cool
and digital creators in all
will be making their denim
Cannes debut this look as
year. Some new Indi- she steps
an faces at the film out in the
gala will be RJ Karish- suburbs
ma, Nancy Tyagi, Ni-
harika, Ankush
Bahuguna and many
more.