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Parliament’s 1897 law is unquestionable, IT says sorry over summons on jumbo nCoV centres
I-T DEPT HIT BY EPIDEMIC ACT, BMC CHIEF HAS CARTE BLANCHE!
Renni Abraham
Mumbai: Chief Min-
ister, Uddhav Thack-
eray, who heads the
MVA government,
told the state legisla-
tive assembly in
March that Union gov-
ernment agencies
were being misused to
concertedly target
non-BJP-ruled state
governments, opposi-
tion party leaders and
bureaucrats. He was
quite right, if the ex-
perience of Brihan-
mumbai Municipal
Corporation (BMC)
Commissioner Iqbal
Singh Chahal is any-
thing to go by.
In February, Cha-
hal’s office was issued
a summons by the In-
come Tax (I-T) depart-
ment seeking specific
details about nine jum-
bo medical centres,
with a capacity of
15,000 beds, set up in
Mumbai in the wake
of the COVID-19 pan-
demic of 2020. Almost
simultaneously, the
Enforcement Directo-
rate also launched in-
vestigations against
the daughters of fire-
brand Shiv Sena
spokesperson and
Member of Parlia-
ment Sanjay Raut, re-
garding their commer-
cial involvement with
the BKC and Gore-
gaon-based jumbo
COVID-19 centres.
Strangely,
on April 07,
the I-T de-
partment
withdrew the sum-
mons issued to the
BMC Chief and even
apologized for the ‘in-
convenience’ to
his office.
A senior I-T
officer told
First India,
“Therearein-
d i v i d u a l
cases of
aberra-
tion caused by the over-
zealous conduct of
some officers. In fact, in
October 2021, the Bom-
bay High Court also is-
sued orders against
another I-T officer for
similar insensitivity,
and penalized him
Rs25,000 from his sala-
ry
. These things should
not happen, but some-
times do.”
Incidentally, Chahal
was also served an-
other IT summons in
March following raids
conducted on former
BMC standing com-
mittee chairperson
Yashwanth Jadhav.
This summons sought
details on the names
and PAN card details
of the standing com-
mittee chairman for
2017-2018 and 2019-
2020, BMC scrutiny
committee members
and of then BMC com-
missioner Praveen
Pardeshi (who was
drafted into the Cen-
tre’s Department of
Personnel by Prime
Minister Narendra
Modi after his tenure
as BMC Chief).
Chahal told First In-
dia that he had fur-
nished all the details
sought by the I-T de-
partment in the
Jadhav case.
Queried on the issue
of the nCoV hospitals
summons, the BMC
Chief was reluctant to
comment on the I-T de-
partment’s apparent
fumble.
“We are officers of
the government and
the summon was is-
sued to BMC and not (to
me) in my individual
capacity
. Subsequently
,
after I addressed a (le-
gal) response, the I-T
department informed
me that the summons
stood withdrawn with
immediate effect and,
any inconvenience
caused was regretted,”
he said.
However, according
to a senior state secre-
tariat official, “The
BMC Chief was ad-
vised to consult legal
opinion and, subse-
quently, sent his reply
through his advocate.
The I-T department
also consulted legal
advisers and the sum-
mons was withdrawn
six weeks after it was
issued.”  Turn to P2
First India Bureau
Mumbai: Pandit Shiv
Kumar Sharma will be
accorded a state funer-
al, Chief Minister Ud-
dhav Thackeray’s of-
fice said in a statement
on Tuesday as he and
Governor Bhagat Sin-
gh Koshyari led other
leaders in condoling
the death of the San-
toor maestro.
The Santoor virtuo-
so died here on Tues-
day following a heart
attack. He was 84.
Pt Shiv Kumar Shar-
ma will be cremated
with state honours.
The chief minister has
given the order in this
regard, the CMO said
in a statement.
CM Thack-
eray said Pt
S h a r m a
i n t r o -
d u c e d
santoor
to the
w o r l d .
He mes-
m e r i s e d
people not
only in India but
also across the world
with his music.
“Santoor reached
where Indian music
reached. This is the
contribution of Pt
Sharma’s continuous
sadhana (disci-
plined and
dedicated
practice)
the Indi-
an mu-
sic field
c a n
n e v e r
forget Pt
Sharma’s
c o n t r i b u -
tion,” the state-
ment cited Thackeray
as saying.
The chief minister
described Pt Sharma as
the pride of the Indian
music field.
Koshyari too ex-
pressed pain and shock
overPtSharma’sdeath.
In his condolence
message, the governor
said, “The news of the
demise of Pt Shiv Ku-
mar Sharma is shock-
ing. Pt Shiv Kumar
Sharma was instru-
mental in taking San-
toor and Indian classi-
cal music to the global
stage.” He described
the Santoor maestro as
a “great artist, guru, re-
searcher, thinker and
above all a kind-heart-
ed human being”.
Pt Shiv Kumar Shar-
ma mentored many
disciples and enriched
the world of music
with his multifari-
ous contributions,
Koshyari said.
NCP chief
Sharad Pawar
said that he
was “deeply
saddened”
by Pt Shar-
ma’s death.
State funeral for Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma: Maha govt
Santoor
maestro
passed away at
the age of 84,
following a heart
attack
CYCLONE WARNING
CYCLONE WARNING A river traffic police
personnel makes an
announcement as part of
precautionary measures
against Cyclone Asani, on
the banks of Ganga river,
in Kolkata on Tuesday.
— PHOTO BY PTI 
 See P6
Iqbal Singh Chahal
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstin
MUMBAI l WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI TITLE NO. MAHENG/2022/14652 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 5
OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, LUCKNOW, NEW DELHI  MUMBAI
CONFIDENT THAT AFSPA
WILL SOON BE REVOKED
FROM WHOLE OF ASSAM:
AMIT SHAH IN GUWAHATI
P5
HIGH COURT REFUSES
NOD TO TEENAGE RAPE
VICTIM TO ABORT
29-WEEK FOETUS  P3
CYCLONE ASANI: NAVY’S
EASTERN COMMAND IN
VISAKHAPATNAM STEPS
UP WITH AID  P6
MOHALI BLAST: PUNJAB
CM BHAGWANT MANN
SAYS ‘CULPRITS WON’T
BE SPARED’  P6
ALLAHABAD HC GRANTS
INTERIM BAIL TO SP
LEADER AZAM KHAN,
ORDER ON SURETY OF `2L
HOLD SEDITION LAW TILL REVIEW?
SC WANTS CENTRE’S
REPLY TODAY
A three-judge presided by Chief
Justice of India NV Ramana gave
the government time till Wednesday to
make its stand about pending cases clear
Top Court also sought to know if the
govt can issue a direction to states
to keep cases under Section 124A in
abeyance till re-examination is complete
1 2
New Delhi: The Su-
preme Court on Tues-
day gave the Centre 24
hours to inform the
apex court whether it
will issue instructions
to all states and Union
territories to keep sedi-
tion cases in abeyance
till the government’s
proposed exercise of re-
viewing Section 124A of
the Indian Penal Code
(IPC) was completed.
The Centre will come
back with a reply on
Wednesday
.
“In order to protect
the interest of people
who are already booked
under the sedition law
as well as future cases,
Centre to file response
on whether those can be
kept in abeyance till law
is re-examined,” the
Chief Justice directed.
Earlier, the court
asked the government
tough questions on its
request for more time
in order to review the
law and about incidents
of misuse of the law.
MINORITY STATUS FOR
HINDUS: TAKE A STAND
WITHIN 3 MONTHS: SC
The Supreme Court on
Tuesday said that the affidavit
filed by BJP-led Union govern-
ment on Monday in response
to a prayer seeking minority
status for Hindus in certain
states and Union territories
where their numbers have
gone below others “seems to
an extent to backout of what
was stated” in an “earlier”
affidavit filed on March 25 this
year and that the court doesn’t
“appreciate” this.
MAJITHIA’S PLEA SEEKING
QUASHING OF FIRs REJECTED
SC STAYS NON-BAILABLE
WARRANT AGAINST IAS RITU
The Supreme Court on Tuesday re-
fused to entertain a plea of Shiromani
Akali Dal (SAD) leader
Bikram Singh Majithia
seeking quashing of
FIR registered against
him by Punjab Police
under the NDPS Act
of 1985 and gave him liberty to ap-
proach Punjab and Haryana HC.
Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed
the non-bailable warrant issued by
Allahabad High Court
against Noida Chief
Executive Officer (CEO)
and IAS officer Ritu
Maheshwari in con-
nection with contempt
proceedings against her. The court
has listed the matter for Wednesday.
l Lankan authorities said
a mob assaulted a top Sri
Lankan police officer and
set his vehicle on fire
l Armed forces have
been ordered to open fire
at anyone looting public
property or causing
harm to others: Defence
Ministry
l Cricketer Ranatunga
accuses police of han-
dling situation badly
l Rajapaksa’s residence
set on fire, curfew en-
forced after 5 killed in the
huge violence
Lanka ex-PM,kin take shelter at naval
base; curfew enforced after 5 killed
Colombo: Protests
erupted at the Trinco-
malee Naval Base in Sri
Lanka after it was
known that the former
PM Mahinda Rajapaksa
and some of his family
members were taking
shelter, as per sources.
As per sources, after
leaving the official resi-
dence,ex-PMandhisfam-
ily members were put up
at naval base. In a tweet,
it reported that a protest
wasunderwayinfrontof
Trincomalee Naval Base
whereitwasclaimedthat
Rajapaksa  his family
members were staying.
‘Guided by ‘Best Interests’ of Lanka’s people’
India on Tuesday reacted to devps in Sri Lanka and said that
it will “always be guided by best interests of people of Sri
Lanka expressed through democratic processes”. “In keeping
with our Neighbourhood First policy, India has extended, this
year alone, support worth over US$ 3.5 billion to people of
Lanka for helping them. People of India have provided assis-
tance for mitigating shortages of essential items such as food,
medicine, etc,” Arindam Bagchi, MEA spokesperson said.
Man walks past burnt vehicles a day after clashes between govt
supporters and anti-govt protesters in Colombo on Tuesday.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
CBI raids over FCRA
violation: 10 arrested
New Delhi: Ten people,
including five govt offi-
cials,havebeenarrested
for taking bribe on be-
half of non-profits in al-
leged violation of for-
eign funding rules, CBI
said after a big nation-
wide crackdown across
40 locations. Home Min-
istry officials, say CBI
sources, gave illegal
Foreign Contribution
Regulation Act (FCRA)
clearances to NGOs in
exchange of bribe. Ille-
gal transactions of
around ₹Rs 2 crore rout-
ed through hawala have
been found, said agency
after searches in Delhi,
Rajasthan, Chennai,
Mysore, among others.
J-K BANK FRAUD:
RAIDS @ 8 PLACES
Month after ED ques-
tioned NC leader Omar
Abdullah, CBI on Tues-
day conducted searches
at multiple locations in
Mumbai, Delhi, Jammu
and Srinagar in connec-
tion with the JK Bank
buying 65,000 sq ft
office space in Mumbai
in 2010. Among loca-
tions searched by CBI
are residences of exbank
chairman Haseeb Drabu.
NEWS
MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022
02
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
First India Bureau
Mumbai: Days after Ut-
tar Pradesh BJP MP
Brij Bhushan Sharan
Singh asked Raj Thack-
eray to apologize to
north Indians before
visiting Ayodhya, the
NCP on Tuesday
claimed the BJP leader
laid down the condition
to puncture the MNS
chief’s “inflated ego”.
Maharashtra NCP’s
Chief SpokespersonMa-
hesh Tapase also ques-
tioned why Thackeray,
who otherwise issues
orders and ultimatums
inMaharashtra,wasnot
replying to the BJP MP
.
Thackeray’s Ayodhya
visit will happen if he
apologizes to north In-
dians. But, he will not
be able to open his
mouth before the Mar-
athi manoos in Maha-
rashtra if he does so.
The BJP has entangled
Thackeray politically,
Tapase claimed.
Raj Thackeray re-
cently gave an ultima-
tum to the Maharashtra
government (compris-
ing the Shiv Sena, NCP
and Congress) to re-
move loudspeakers
from mosques by May 3.
He had also said that he
will visit Ayodhya on
June 5 to seek blessings
of Lord Ram.
His party MNS,
formed to raise the
cause of sons-of-the
soil, had targeted north
Indians in the past and
also agitated against
students from there ap-
pearing in an exam in
Maharashtra.
Singh had last week
opposed Thackeray’s
June 5 visit to Ayodhya
in Uttar Pradesh and
warned that the latter
would not be allowed to
enter the city till he ten-
dered a public apology
for allegedly humiliat-
ing north Indians.
In a statement issued
on Tuesday, Tapase also
said Singh’s opposition
to Thackeray’s pro-
posed Ayodhya visit
shows the BJP’s real
stance with regard to
the MNS chief.
Meanwhile, Maha-
rastra minister and
state NCP chief Jayant
Patil, without naming
anyone, said, “Some
people are trying to
see that riots take
place and that there is a
law and order problem
in the state. But, we
should not fall prey to
this design.”
First India Bureau
Mumbai: The Bombay
High Court has directed
the Maharashtra gov-
ernment to forthwith
issue an ‘orphan certifi-
cate’ to two students,
residing in a home for
abandoned and or-
phaned girls in the city,
so that they can appear
for the National Eligi-
bility cum Entrance
Test (NEET), 2022.
A division bench
comprising Justice Re-
vati Mohite Dere and
Justice Madhav Jamdar
passed the order on May
06, a copy of which was
made available on May
10, while hearing an ap-
plication filed by ‘The
Nest India Foundation’,
an NGO, which runs the
children’s home.
The application stat-
ed that two residents of
the home had applied to
the Mumbai District
Women and Child De-
velopment Office for is-
suance of the ‘orphan
certificate’ in Novem-
ber 2020.
The duo required the
certificate to apply for
the examination and ad-
mission to an MBBS de-
gree course.
The petitioner’s advo-
cate, Abhinav Chandra-
chud, had argued that
despite several trips to
the concerned office
and phone calls, the cer-
tificate was not issued.
Government pleader
Purnima Kantharia
told the court that there
were certain deficien-
cies and shortcomings
in the applications and
hence, the certificate
had not been issued.
The court noted that
the application for issu-
ance of the orphan cer-
tificate was submitted
in November 2020 and
till date, no action has
been taken by the au-
thority concerned.
“It is also significant
to note that till date, the
authorities have failed
to inform about the na-
ture of deficiencies in
the applications,” said
the court.
The court directed
the authority to issue
and grant orphan cer-
tificates to both stu-
dents within a week.
Issue orphan certificate to 2 girls for NEET 2022 attempt: HC
STERN ORDER
lll
Division
bench calls out
Maha govt
for failing to
take any action
since filing
of applications
by the
students in
Nov 2020
Thackeray recently
gave an ultimatum
to the Maha govt
to remove
loudspeakers from
mosques by May 3
Somaiya extorted crores in
donations from firms: Raut
Sena approaches cops to seek
probe into MP’s hospital videos
First India Bureau
Mumbai: Shiv Sena
MP Sanjay Raut on
Tuesday alleged that
BJP leader Kirit So-
maiya extorted crores
in the form of dona-
tions from companies
under the scanner of
Central agencies.
Raut alleged the So-
maiyas controlled ‘Yu-
vak Pratishthan’ re-
ceived suspicious do-
nations from several
companies.
Kirit Somaiya was
not available for com-
ment.
“Money has been ex-
torted under the guise
of donations. The com-
panies that are being
probed by the CBI and
the ED, this guy (Kirit
Somaiya) extorts dona-
tion from such compa-
nies,” Raut told report-
ers.
These days, when-
ever a big company is
raided by the ED and
the CBI for (financial)
irregularities, then
whosoever has been a
beneficiary of it is
probed and arrested,
he claimed.
“(Arrested NCP
minister) Nawab Ma-
lik’s case is the same.
Others also have the
same issue (of being
arrested or probed for
being an alleged bene-
ficiary from the com-
pany),” Raut said.
He said that Metro
Dairy in West Bengal
was under the radar of
Central agencies for al-
leged irregularities in
its disinvestment.
“The ED and the CBI
also raided the compa-
ny
. In 2019, Kirit Somai-
ya received a few lakhs
from this company.
Such companies give
lakhs and crores of ru-
pees to Yuvak Pratish-
than. There are nearly
172 such companies.
This is the tip of the
iceberg,” Raut added.
Mumbai (PTI): A Shiv
Sena delegation met
Bandra police officials
in Mumbai on Tuesday
to seek a probe into how
independent MP
Navneet Rana was
videographed while
undergoing an MRI
procedure at the Lila-
vati Hospital.
The delegation, com-
prising Shiv Sena MLC
Manisha Kayande,
former mayor Kishori
Pednekar and Rahul
Kanal, a close aide of
state Tourism Minister
Aaditya Thackeray
, also
asked the police to
investigate how Rana’s
bodyguards were al-
lowed to enter the pri-
vate hospital with their
weapons.
The Sena, heading
the Maha Vikas Aghadi
(MVA) government in
Maharashtra, had al-
leged there was a clear
violation of rules by the
hospital, as it sought to
further corner Amra-
vati Lok Sabha member
Rana, who has been
highly critical of Chief
Minister Uddhav
Thackeray and his out-
fit Shiv Sena.
On Monday, the
Mumbai police filed an
application in a special
court here seeking can-
cellation of the bail
granted to the parlia-
mentarian and her
MLA-husband Ravi
Rana, accused in a sedi-
tion case following a
row over the recitation
of Hanuman Chalisa.
A delegation of the
ruling Shiv Sena on
Monday visited the Li-
lavati Hospital and
sought to know how
Navneet Rana’s videos
and pictures were taken
while she was undergo-
ing an MRI procedure
at the private medical
facility
.
On Tuesday, Sena
MLC Kayande said,
“We will also meet the
state home minister
and ask him to conduct
a probe into the matter.
We will also take up the
matter with the Chari-
ty Commissioner as
private hospitals come
under his jurisdic-
tion.”
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay
Raut alleged the
Somaiyas-controlled
‘Yuvak Pratishthan’
received suspicious
donations from
several companies
Also asks the police to investigate how Navneet Rana’s bodyguards
were allowed to enter the private hospital with their weapons
Independent MP Navneet Rana being greeted by her husband and MLA Ravi Rana at Lilavati
Hospital in Mumbai on Thursday.  —FILE PHOTO
Aaditya visits wastewater
treatment plant at Nanded
First India Bureau
Nanded: Maharash-
tra’s Tourism and En-
vironment Minister
Aaditya Thackeray
visited decentralized
wastewater treatment
plant at Nanded on
Tuesday. The plant
was established under
the aegis of Majhi
Vasundhara Abhiyan,
which was launched
by Thackeray in
2020, to identify poten-
tial action plans
under five elements
(panchmahabhuta)
for the betterment of
the environment for
local bodies.
Elaborating on the
benefits of wastewa-
ter management, the
minister tweeted, “To-
day
,Ivisitedthedecen-
tralized wastewater
treatment plant set up
under Majhi Vasund-
hara Abhiyan at
Nanded. The project
will solve the problem
of wastewater man-
agement in the city
which is becoming
more and more criti-
cal. It will also be able
to reuse the pure wa-
ter generated by it.”
Later, Thackeray
also broke ground on a
100-bed sub-district
hospital at Nanded. In
a tweet, Thackeray
said, “Today, with the
efforts of MLA Balaji
Kalyankar ji, the
ground-breaking cer-
emony of the 100-bed
sub-district hospital to
be set up at Nanded
was held. The hospital
willprovideaffordable
healthcare to about 1.5
lakh citizens.”
Aaditya Thackeray listens to an official at the wastewater treatment plant.
Tourism  Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray attends
ground-breaking ceremony of 100-bed hospital at Nanded.
BJP MP laid down condition to puncture
Raj Thackeray’s ‘inflated ego’, says NCP
AYODHYA VISIT
Gonda (UP): Opposing Raj Thackeray’s proposed
next month visit to Ayodhya, BJP Kaiserganj MP
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Tuesday held a
roadshow here and said that it was his “personal
protest” against the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena
chief for “insulting North Indians”, and the saffron
party has nothing to do with it. “I want to clarify
that it is my personal protest (against Raj Thack-
eray) and it has nothing to do with my party (BJP).
I am firstly scion of Lord Ram, then North Indian
and in the last MP of the BJP,” Singh told reporters.
‘PERSONAL PROTEST’ NOT
BJP-RELATED: SINGH
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh
Raj Thackeray
Kirit Somaiya
NOTICE SERVED
FROM PG 1
The secretariat official
also provided details of
the back and forth that
ensued between the IT
department and the
BMC’s legal counsel on
strict condition of ano-
nymity
.
The IT summons was
issued for the purpose
of investigating alleged
corruption in the set-
ting up of the nine jum-
bo centres. It sought
information on the ten-
dering process, the
number of tenders re-
ceived, the procedure
followed to award ten-
ders, work orders is-
sued, terms and condi-
tions of tendering and
dates of awards.
Chahal’s legal coun-
sel in his reply in-
formed the IT depart-
ment that while it had
asked questions regard-
ing the tendering as-
pects of the jumbo cen-
tres, “… all these ten-
ders were issued in
March 2020 under the
Epidemic Act of 1897.”
Chahal, himself, had
taken up the BMC
Chief’s post much later
in May
.
The BMC Commis-
sioner further stated
(through his advocate)
that his office enjoyed
‘carte blanche’ under
the Epidemic Act which
cannot be questioned
by any authority as the
Act was legislated by
Parliament. The BMC
Commissioner, citing
the provisions of the
Act, asked the IT de-
partment to “kindly
withdraw the summons
issued in the regard”
failing which, he
“would approach the
Bombay High Court” in
the matter.
Six weeks later, the IT
department withdrew
its summons.
Meanwhile, the sta-
tus of the ED investiga-
tions is still unclear at
the time of going to
press.
‘Nothing
personal’;
summons
issued to BMC
MAHARASHTRA
MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022
03
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READ
crucial
crucial
MUMBRA MAN HELD FROM
GUJ FOR STEPMOM’S MURDER
Maharashtra
Maharashtra
TEENAGE BOY DROWNS IN MUMBAI LAKE
AFTER FAILING TO GAUGE ITS DEPTH
‘NCOV CASES MAY RISE IN JUNE-JULY,
SPEEDING UP VAX DRIVE BEST WAY’
NO COOKING GAS SUPPLY IN PARTS OF PUNE,
EXPECTED TO RESUME BY LATE AFTERNOON
FIRE IN ANAND NAGAR BUILDING, NO
CASUALTY; OVER 70 RESIDENTS EVACUATED
Mumbai: A 15-year-old boy drowned in the Vihar
lake in Powai area here while swimming, police said
on Tuesday. The boy, identified as Gautam Panchal,
had gone for a swim at the lake with his friends on
Monday afternoon. Prima facie, Panchal drowned
as he failed to gauge the depth of the water in the
lake, an official said. He was fished out of the water
by local people and was rushed to a nearby hospital,
where he was declared dead before admission. An
Accidental Death Report (ADR) has been registered.
Jalna: There was a likelihood of COVID-19 cases
increasing in June and July, and speeding up the
vaccination drive against the infection was the best
way ahead, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope
said here on Monday. He said the precaution dose
was being given to frontline and health workers and
the state government had sought financial aid from
the Centre to administer it to other segments as well.
Queried about illegal abortion centres in Jalna, one of
which was busted recently, Tope said he had directed
the health department to take strict action against
such outlets.
Pune: Many areas in Pune, including Mohammadwadi,
Undri, Kondhwa and Wanowrie, were left without piped
gas supply from 10.30 pm on Monday. “The disruption
was caused by a problem at a pumping station. Our
technical team is working on it; supply is expected to
resume by late afternoon,” an official of the Maharashtra
Natural Gas Limited (MNGL) said. Area residents were
upset as MNGL did not alert them about the disruption.
“Even if there was some fault or disruption in the supply,
the MNGL at least should have alerted consumers. We
have been trying to reach customer care and tagging
MNGL on Twitter but in vain,” Harshad Datar, a resident
of Mohammawadi, said.
Thane: A fire broke out in a duct of a 17-storey resi-
dential building in Maharashtra’s Thane city on Tuesday
morning. However, no casualty was reported as 70-75
residents were evacuated from the building located in
Anand Nagar area, Thane Municipal Corporations’c re-
gional disaster management cell (RDMC) chief Avinash
Sawant said. The fire broke out around 8.20 am in an
electric cable in the duct of floors 13 to 17, he said, add-
ing that the RDMC and local firemen rushed to the spot
and the blaze was doused. “The cause of the fire is not
yet known,” he said.
Thane: A 25-year-old resident of Mumbra in Thane dis-
trict of Maharashtra was arrested from Gujarat where he
had fled after allegedly killing his stepmother, police said
on Tuesday. The accused, identified as Imran Kayyum
Khan, had attacked Shanaz Banu Kayyum Khan (52) with
a knife over a domestic dispute on May 3. The victim
died in a hospital on May 5, a crime branch official said.
He was nabbed from Dungri in the Aravalli district of
Gujarat on a tip-off, the official added.
We had our chance: Bumrah after loss against KKR
Navi Mumbai (ANI):
After facing a crushing
defeat against Kolkata
Knight Riders, Mum-
bai Indians pacer Jas-
prit Bumrah said the
team will be looking
forward to rectifying
their mistakes and
coming back stronger
in the next season.
Bumrah’s five-wicket
haul was undone by
clinical Kolkata Knight
Riders as they defeated
Mumbai Indians by 52
runs in their IPL 2022
match at Dr DY Patil
Sports Academy here
on Monday
.
“Always a good feel-
ing to contribute but
the important thing is
for the team to win. We
had our chance to do
that but couldn’t get it
done. That’s the way it
is. I don’t keep track of
figures or goals, my aim
is to stick to the pro-
cess,” said Jasprit Bum-
rah in a post-match
presentation.
“Sometimes you bowl
well but don’t get wick-
ets. Can’t get desperate.
Just want to contribute
in whatever way I can.
Well, it’s about rectify-
ing our mistakes and
doing better next sea-
son,” he added.
Batting first, Ven-
katesh Iyer and Nitish
Rana’s 43 each for Kol-
kata and a quick un-
beaten 23 by Rinku Sin-
gh guided KKR to a re-
spectable total of 165/9.
For Mumbai, Bumrah
bagged five wickets
while Kumar Kartikeya
picked up two wickets.
On the other hand,
Pat Cummins bagged
three wickets in one
over to derail MI’s
hopes while Andre Rus-
sell bagged two to guide
KKR to a comfortable 52
runs win.
This is Rohit Shar-
ma-led MI’s ninth de-
feat in the ongoing 15th
edition of the IPL.
HC refuses nod to teenage rape
victim to abort 29-week foetus
M u m b a i :
The Bombay
High Court has
refused to
grant permis-
sion to a
1 6 - y e a r - o l d
rape survivor to
terminate her 29-
week pregnancy, but
directed the Maharash-
tra government to ad-
mit the girl to an NGO
in Mumbai till her de-
livery and pay her an
interim compensation
of Rs50,000.
A division bench of
Justices Revati Mohite
Dere and Madhav Jam-
dar passed its order on
May 06, a copy of which
was made available on
Tuesday, while hearing
a petition filed by the
girl through her father,
seeking permission to
terminate the pregnan-
cy
.
The court refused
permission as a team of
doctors of the govern-
ment-run JJ Hospital,
who examined the girl,
said that if the pregnan-
cy is terminated at this
stage, the baby would be
born alive and would
then face lifelong mor-
bidities. This could be
avoided if the baby is
delivered near term,
they had said.
The court noted that
since the girl's father is
a daily wage earner and
her mother died long
back, there is no one to
look after her in this
critical situation.
“We direct the state
government to take
steps to admit the peti-
tioner in Vatsalya
Trust, Kanjurmarg,
till her delivery and
for further necessary
period. The authori-
ties of the Vatsalya
Trust shall provide all
necessary facilities to
the petitioner and to
take steps to admit her
to government/ civic
hospital at the time of
delivery,” the bench
said.
The court also direct-
ed the Maharashtra
government to place all
requisite documents be-
fore the District Legal
Services Authority for
payment of compensa-
tion to the petitioner
under the Manodhairya
Scheme (provides fi-
nancial compensation
to victims of sexual of-
fences).
MAN BOOKED FOR RAPING TWO 13-YEAR-OLDS
First India Bureau
Palghar: Police have registered a
case against a man for allegedly rap-
ing two teenage girls here in Maha-
rashtra under the pretext of getting
them roles in films, an official said
on Tuesday
.
Over the past year, the accused al-
legedly took the girls, both aged 13,
to a forest in Vasai area where he
repeatedly raped them and also in-
dulged in unnatural sex with them,
the official from the Mira Bhay-
ander-Vasai Virar police control
room said.
The man also demanded Rs70,000
from the girls while threatening to
post pictures of them in compromis-
ing positions on social media.
The girls’ parents lodged a com-
plaint, following which the Nallaso-
para police on Monday registered
an FIR against the man under Indi-
an Penal Code Sections 376, (rape),
377 (unnatural sex), 384 (extortion)
and 506 (criminal intimidation), and
provisions of the Protection of Chil-
dren from Sexual Offences (POCSO)
Act, the official said.
No arrest has been made so far, he
said.
Thane: A police consta-
ble has been arrested
for allegedly raping
a woman under the
pretext of helping her to
solve her problems, an
official said on Tuesday.
The constable who was
posted at the Navghar
police station befriend-
ed the 27-year-old
woman when she went
there some time ago
to lodge a complaint.
He then called her to
different places while
promising to resolve
her woes, and allegedly
raped her on various
occasions, the official
from Navghar police
station said. The wom-
an later lodged a police
complaint, based on
which the accused was
arrested, he added.
CONSTABLE
ARRESTED FOR
RAPING WOMAN
Manghar set to be
first ‘honey village’
in the country
First India Bureau
Mumbai: Khadi and
Village Industries
Board of the Maha-
rashtra Government
has come up with an
innovative concept
of Madhache Gaon
(Honey village). For
this, Manghar vil-
lage near, Ma-
habaleshwar, has
been selected.
Madhache Gaon
will be a project to
protect and conserve
nature as well as cre-
ate permanent em-
ployment for the peo-
ple living in the hilly
and forested areas.
Manghar is sur-
rounded by dense for-
est and it has year
round flowering. Col-
lective bee keeping is
routine of the village
life. Eighty percent of
the population of the
village is engaged in
bee keeping business.
Special efforts will
be made to increase
the number of bees in
the village under the
initiative. On this oc-
casion, tourists and
consumers coming to
Mahabaleshwar will
get pure and quality
honey
. Bees are seen
as an important com-
ponent of nature’s
food chain. Crop pro-
duction is also on the
rise due to bees. Bee
pollination has been
foundtoincreasecrop
productivity as well.
This is the first pro-
jectinthecountryand
will be implemented
in other districts.
Mumbai Indians
are currently at
10th place on the
leaderboard for
ongoing season
Bumrah’s five-wicket
haul was undone by
clinical Kolkata Knight
Riders as they defeated
Mumbai Indians by 52
runs in their IPL 2022
match at on Monday.
Pat Cummins bagged
three wickets in one
over while Andre Russell
bagged two to guide
KKR to a comfortable 52
runs win.
Always a
good feeling
to contribute
but the important
thing is for the team to
win. We had our
chance to do that but
couldn’t get it done.
That’s the way it is. I
don’t keep track of fig-
ures or goals, my aim
is to stick to the process.
—Jasprit Bumrah
FALLING SHORT
CELEBRATING NURSES
Nurses of Masina Hospital in Mumbai pose for photos during a music therapy session organised by Furtados School of Music
on Tuesday, ahead of International Nurses Day on May 12.  —PHOTO BY PTI
Court asks Maha govt to pay her
` 50,000 interim compensation
40-acre land allotted to
Thane rural police HQ
Thane: The Maharash-
tra revenue depart-
ment has allotted 40
acres of land in Vash-
ere and Sape villages of
Bhiwandi town to set
up the Thane district
rural police headquar-
ters, a release issued by
the office of district
Guardian Minister
Eknath Shinde said.
The rural police
headquarters had re-
mained in Thane city
when Palghar district
was carved out of
Thane eight years ago.
Currently, the Thane
rural police have 11 po-
lice stations and three
sub-divisions--Murbad,
Ganeshpuri and Sa-
hapur--under their ju-
risidiction, covering
parts of Bhiwandi,
Kalyan, Murbad and
Sahapur talukas.
Jasprit Bumrah
PERSPECTIVE
MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022
04
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l Vol 1 l Issue No. 5
l RNI TITLE NO.
MAHENG/2022/14652 Printed
and published by
Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of
First Express Publishers. Printed
at Dangat Media Pvt Ltd, No.22,
Dighe MIDC, Vishnu Nagar, 
TTC Industrial Area, Dighe, Navi
Mumbai-400701. Published
at Plot No. 3 Scheme C of
Manglorean Garden Home, CHS
Limited, Survey No. 5, 6C (Part)
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Editor-In-Chief: Jagdeesh Chandra
Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan
responsible for selection of news
under the PRB Act
SPIRITUAL SPEAK
I can endure all these things
through the power of the one
who gives me strength.
—Bible
IN-DEPTH
Dharmendra Pradhan
@dpradhanbjp
Today marks a significant day in the
modern history of our country. Turn
of events back this day in 1857 re-
ignited nationalist admiration  led to
a conscious beginning of our freedom
struggle. Tribute to all those whose efforts
culminated in India’s independence.
Dr Jitendra Singh
@DrJitendraSingh
The unspoken truth is that the artificial
barriers created by #Article370 resulted
in exploitation of precisely the same
Kashmiri masses of the Valley who
were given to believe that they enjoyed
some sort of a special status which
actually they did not.
TOP TWEETS
RPG ATTACK ON
INTELLIGENCE HQ
PUTS LENS ON
AAP GOVERNMENT
lose on the heels of
the Khalistan flag be-
ing hoisted on the
gate of Himachal
Pradesh Assembly
comes a rocket-propelled gre-
nade (RPG) attack at the Punjab
police headquarters. The dam-
age was minor but the impact of
the attack is being taken by in-
telligence agencies seriously
. Is
there a Pakistani hand or that of
Afghanistan where RPGs are
used more? That is for the intel-
ligence sleuths to figure out but
what is of great concern is the
occurrence of minor-looking in-
cidents aimed, perhaps, to test
the security apparatus in the
border state.
The hoisting of flag at the As-
sembly building’s gate and the
painting of its walls with pro-
Khalistan slogans happened
even after an intelligence input
was shared with the state.
These are ominous signs for
the newly formed Aam Aadmi
PartygovernmentinPunjab.The
party’sdetractorswillbequickto
recall Delhi Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal’s stay in the
house of Gurwinder Singh, an
activist of Khalistan Liberation
Front, ahead of Punjab polls.
C
n a surprise move
the Central gov-
ernment told the
Supreme Court of
India that it was
ready to re-examine the Brit-
ish-era law on sedition as de-
fined under Section 124A of
the Indian Penal Code. The
change in stand came a cou-
ple of days after the govern-
ment defended the law.
Interestingly
, the UK gov-
ernment itself repealed the
law way back in 2009. It, how-
ever, continues to be misused
by the Central and various
state governments of its for-
mer colony
. The law has been
used to crack down on those
criticising the government,
whichisviewedas“spreading
disaffection”, a criminal of-
fenceunderthedraconianlaw.
Duringtheongoinghearingof
the sedition case by a bench
headed by Chief Justice of In-
dia NV Ramana, the Centre
saidonMondaythatthePrime
Minister wants a comprehen-
sive review of the law to pre-
vent its misuse and requested
the court to leave the matter
foran“appropriateplatform”.
But the Centre did not give a
schedule for the review.
The court has asked the
Centre to revert with a time-
line. The petitioners have, on
theotherhand,contendedthat
Section 124 A be stayed if the
court decides to refer the mat-
ter to a larger bench and “that
any pending proceedings”, be
stayedasaninterimmeasure”.
A former Supreme Court
judge, Justice Madan B.
Lokur, once said at an event
that authorities have found
various ways of “weaponis-
ing” the sedition laws. Justice
Lokur said, “One of the worst
forms of curtailment of free-
dom of speech is charging a
person with sedition.”
SEDITION CASE HEARING
REMAINS IN FOCUS
During the ongoing hearing of the sedition case by
a bench headed by CJI NV Ramana, the Centre said
on Monday that the PM wants a comprehensive review of
the law to prevent its misuse and requested the court to
leave the matter for an “appropriate platform”. But the
Centre did not give a schedule for the review.
I
AAP MUST LEARN THE ROPES
OF REGIONAL POLITICS FAST
PATIALA CLASH
he recent Patiala clash was
the first major law and order
challenge for the AAP gov-
ernment in Punjab. The clash
was a clear writing on the
wall with Sikh for Justice’s
(SFJ’s) Gurpatwant Singh
Pannu’s call to observe Khal-
istan Day on April 29 and the
Sena members announcing
to take out an anti-Khalistan
March on the same day!
Barjinder Singh Parwana,
one of the masterminds of
the clash, who was arrested,
had earlier said on social me-
dia that he would not allow
anyone to hold such an event.
To cover up its lapses, the
AAP, however, said it was not
a communal clash but a clash
between Opposition political
parties and arrests were
made from both sides.
However, the first question
that comes to mind is why did
the administration, in the
first place, allow such a vola-
tile situation to erupt? There
hadbeenconflictingstandsof
Parwana and Sena members
in the past over the issues of
Khalistan as well as the Army
action on the Golden Temple.
Meanwhile, all Opposition
parties–Congress,Shiromani
Akali Dal (SAD), BJP – joined
the bandwagon and in their
blisteringattacktargetedAAP
for the “failing law and order
inthestate.”TheAAPgovern-
mentalsofacedflakfromSikh
outfits for failing to prevent
the ‘Khalistan Murdabad’ ral-
ly called by Shiv Sena leader
Harish Singla.
Meanwhile, it is pertinent
to note that while the Delhi
model for better power,
health and education facili-
ties, is fine, the AAP govern-
ment would do better to
weigh the realities of Hindu
and Panthic groups and
farmers/labour unions.
It may be noted that this is
not the first time that a clash/
friction took place between
the Parwana and Shiv Sena
in the state. In June 2021, the
Shiv Sena (Punjab) had alleg-
edly put up posters calling
the anniversary of Operation
Bluestar as “terrorism khaat-
ma divas (end of terrorism
day).” However, since the op-
eration involved military ac-
tion on the holiest site of
Sikhs, it is an occasion of
mourning for the community
.
The Sena announcement
was enough to trigger a coun-
teraction. Soon after, a video
went viral in which Parwana
was seen tearing posters of
‘Terrorism Khaatma Divas.”
Armed with such experience
andoutcome,whenSenalead-
er Singla announced that
April 29 would be observed as
Khalistan Murdabad Divas,
does it leave any doubt in any-
one’s mind that another
round of bristles was evident.
Shouldn’t the AAP govern-
ment which had come to pow-
er by securing a massive
mandate from all sections be
more sensitive and isn’t it
evident that the government
may have erred in letting Sin-
gla hold such an event, espe-
cially near a religious place
(the Kali Mata Mandir in Pa-
tiala) and it may be noted
that the Gurdwara Dukh Ni-
varan Sahib is only 1 to 2 km
from the spot.
Whatwasthenewlyformed
AAP government doing in the
meantime. It is not that that
rally was something that hap-
penedsuddenlyandtheorgan-
isers amassed so many people
overnight. The masses were
well aware of this and to top it
all, several people, including
Parwanahimself,hadrequest-
ed the police to prevent the
Khalistan Murdabad protest.
Yet, the protest took place and
it triggered a counter.
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY
THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL
T
The Sena announcement was
enough to trigger a
counteraction. Soon after, a
video went viral in which
Parwana was seen tearing
posters of ‘Terrorism
Khaatma Divas.” Armed
with such experience and
outcome, when Sena leader
Singla announced that April
29 would be observed as
Khalistan Murdabad Divas,
does it leave any doubt in
anyone’s mind that another
round of bristles was evident
ROBIN ROY
The writer is Senior Associate Editor,
Free Press Journal, Mumbai and former
Managing Editor, First India
WHAT DOES THE CLASH
MEAN FOR AAP IN GENERAL
	
z AAP must quickly come
out of its simple point
mantra of Delhi model to
win over voters
	
z It must learn and learn
fast about the religio-socio
template of the country as it
has shown its eagerness to
make foray into other states
	
z It now needs to understand
the caste-based politics,
the intricacies of regional
satraps and the minute de-
tailing… like the Lingayats
and Brahmins in Karnataka,
the Gurjars, Thakurs and
Dalits in the heartland
	
z Delhi politics is cosmopolitan
politics. Simply harping on the
basic needs may be a good
thing but given the template
of Indian regional politics,
AAP has to master the art of
survival fast if it plans to have
a long-term political ambition
	
z Key to ruling in various
states is the art of balanc-
ing acts between social
forces and understanding
the ground realities and to
be able to control possible
flare-ups
Barjinder Singh Parwana,
one of the masterminds of
the clash, who was arrested,
had earlier said on social
media that he would not
allow anyone to hold such an
event. To cover up its lapses,
the AAP, however, said it was
not a communal clash but
a clash between Opposition
political parties and arrests
were made from both sides.
WAS IT A CLEAR
CASE OF THE AAP
GOVERNMENT BEING
CAUGHT NAPPING?
WAS IT SCARED OF
BEING BRANDED AS
ANTI-HINDU OR
PRO-KHALISTAN IN
CASE IT TOOK “ANY”
ACTION?
IN BOTH THE
SCENARIOS, AAP
DOESN’T STAND TO
GAIN GROUND, IN
FACT, IT HAS LOST
QUITE A BIT
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05
INDIA
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Day is not far when AFSPA will
be revoked in Assam: HM Shah
Guwahati (Agencies):
Union Home Minister
Amit Shah on Tuesday
said that with the im-
proved law and order
situation, the day is not
far when AFSPA will be
revoked in Assam.
The Home Minister
had on March 31 an-
nounced to reduce the
disturbed areas under
the Armed Forces (Spe-
cial Power) Act, 1958
(AFSPA) in three north-
eastern states — Assam,
Nagaland and Manipur.
The AFSPA is in force in
Assam since 1990 and as
per the Centre’s an-
nouncement, it was re-
moved completely from
23 districts and it would
remain enforced in 9
districts and one sub-
division in Assam with
effect from April 1.
After presenting the
President’s Colour to
the Assam Police at a
ceremony here, the
Home Minister said that
due to the constant ef-
forts of the Centre and
Chief MinisterHimanta
Biswa Sarma, almost all
the extremist outfits
have entered into peace
agreements and surren-
dered before the govern-
ment. He said that the
surrendered militants
are being jointly reha-
bilitated by the central
and state governments.
Highlightingtheglori-
ous history and achieve-
ments of Assam police,
Shah said that besides
militancy
, the Assam po-
lice during the past sev-
eraldecadeshassuccess-
fullytackledinfiltration,
border issues, drug ped-
dling, smuggling of
arms, cattle and other
contraband,poachingof
rhinos, human traffick-
ing and several other so-
cial issues.
He said, “During the
Bangladesh liberation
war in 1971 and commu-
nal riots, the Assam po-
lice performed brilliant-
ly and courageously
.”
Shah said that when In-
dia got Independence,
there were 8,000 Assam
policemenandnowtheir
strength has increased
to70,000.Duringthepast
seven decades, 886 As-
sam policemen were
martyred.“
Assampolice
also very tactfully dealt
withtheinter-stateprob-
lems,” Shah added.
Addressing the gath-
ering,AssamChief Min-
ister Himanta Biswa
Sarma urged the police
to work for the weaker
sections of the society
and appreciated their ef-
forts in the decline of
militant activities in the
state. “Hundreds of cad-
res of the eight militant
groups have joined the
mainstream and anoth-
er 13 outfits are in dia-
logue with the govern-
ment,” Sarma said.
l Shah lauds
Assam CM for
making peace
with militants
l ‘Assam police
performed
courageously
during 1971 war’
Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses the programme for the presentation of the President’s
Colours to the Assam Police, at Nehru Stadium in Guwahati.  —PHOTO BY PTI
HOME MIN PRESENTS PREZ’S
COLOUR TO ASSAM POLICE
Guwahati: Union Home Minister
Amit Shah on Tuesday pre-
sented the President’s Colour to
Assam Police for its exemplary
service in the past decades.
President’s Colour is the highest
honour given to any military or
police unit in recognition of its
exceptional service to the na-
tion, during both peace and war.
Assam is the 10th state in the
country to receive this honour.
Hindu bodies continue protest on day 2
Bengaluru (Agen-
cies): The agitation of
the Hindu organisa-
tions entered the second
day on Tuesday despite
Chief Minister Basa-
varaj Bommai’s assur-
ance to frame guide-
lines on the use of loud-
speakers in the state.
The activists contin-
ued to play devotional
prayers in temples
against ‘azaan’.
Founder of Sri Ram
Sena Pramod Muthalik
is holding a 2-day meet-
ing of the Hindu organi-
sations from May 11 in a
private hotel in Bengal-
uru. As per the sources,
more than 20 Hindu or-
ganisations are taking
part in the meeting.
They will discuss the
legalactionontheuseof
loudspeakersinmosques
as well as the future
course of action. Mutha-
lik has warned that the
agitation will be intensi-
fied in the coming days.
Chief Minister Bom-
mai had stated that the
ruling BJP government
would issue an official
order soon to implement
the Supreme Court
guidelines on the use of
loudspeakers.Healsoas-
sured that he would talk
to the officials in this re-
gard and take a call.
“The Supreme Court,
Central government and
the state government
have ordered the use of
loudspeakers. The gov-
ernment has decided to
follow these orders. He
alsostatedthattheguide-
lines would be imple-
mented in a most cordial
manner,” Bommai said.
KARNATAKA LOUDSPEAKER ROW
Bypolls for 7 K’taka
Legislative Council
seats on June 3
Bengaluru (Agencies):
The Karnataka State
ElectionCommissionon
Tuesdayannouncedthat
voting for seven seats of
the state’s Legislative
Council will take place
on June 3. A notification
will be issued in this re-
gard on May 17 and the
last date for submission
of applications is May
24, the poll body said.
BJP MLCs Lakshman
Sangappa Savadi and
Lehar Singh; Cong
MLCsRamappaTimma-
pur, Veena Achaiah and
Allam Veerabhadrappa;
JD(S) MLCs H.M.
Ramesh Gowda and KV
Narayanaswamy;arere-
tiring on June 14. The
elections will he held be-
tween 9 am to 4 pm, and
the process of counting
of voteswillalsobecom-
pleted on the same day
.
BJP worker’s autopsy report in
Calcutta HC indicates suicide
Kolkata (Agencies):
The autopsy report of
the 27-year-old Bharati-
ya Janata Party (BJP)
worker, who was found
dead in Kolkata on May
6, was submitted to the
Calcutta High Court on
Tuesday and indicates
he died by suicide.
Union home minister
Amit Shah, who was in
Bengal when the death
was reported, met Arjun
Chaurasia’s family and
blamedtherulingTrina-
mool Congress (TMC)
for the “political mur-
der”. He sought a Cen-
tral Bureau of Investiga-
tionprobeintothedeath.
BJP leader and lawyer
Priyanka Tibrewal, rep-
resenting Chaurasia’s
family which has alleged
the BJP worker was mur-
dered, said the post-mor-
temreporthascitedhang-
ing as the cause of death.
“While this indicates sui-
cide, we want to wait for
theviscerareporttoseeif
Chaurasia was drugged.
He could have been
hangedbysomeonewhile
he was unconscious.”
TibrewalsaidChaura-
sia would have needed a
chairorsomethingsimi-
lar to tie the rope to the
ceiling. “Nothing was
found at the spot.”
Hurriyat leader charged for
selling Pak MBBS seats in JK
Srinagar (Agencies): A
special court in Srinagar
onMondayframedcharg-
es against eight persons,
including a prominent
Hurriyat leader, for sell-
ingPakistaniMBBSseats
in Jammu and Kashmir
to fund terror activities.
Special judge NIA
court, Srinagar, Manjeet
Singh Manhas, framed
the charges against Hur-
riyat leader and chair-
man Salvation Move-
mentMohammadAkbar
Bhat alias ‘Zaffar Akbar
Bhat’ and seven other
residents of Kashmir for
committing offences un-
der various sections of
the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act.
The case was regis-
teredagainstthe“unscru-
pulous persons” by the
State Investigation Agen-
cy (SIA) on July 27, 2020.
They were hand in glove
with some educational
consultancies for arrang-
ing admission of Jammu
andKashmirresidentsin
MBBS and other profes-
sional courses in various
colleges, institutions and
universities in Pakistan,
officials said.
Besides Akbar Bhat,
others accused in the
caseareFatimaShah,Al-
taf Ahmad Bhat (at pre-
sent in Pakistan), Qazi
Yasir (absconding), Mo-
hammadAbdullahShah,
Sabzar Ahmad Sheikh,
Manzoor Ahmad Shah
(at present in Pakistan)
and Mohammad Iqbal
Mir,whowasreleasedon
bail because he was suf-
fering from a terminal
disease, they said.
Anotherhatespeech
caseagainstPCGeorge
Kochi (Agencies): The
Palarivattom Police in
Kochi have on Tuesday
registered a suo motu
case against ex-MLA
P.C. George on the
charge of delivering a
hate speech on commu-
nal lines at a temple in
Vennala in the city
.
He has been charged
under Sections 153 A
(promoting enmity be-
tween groups on the ba-
sis of religion) and 295
(injuring or defiling a
place of worship with
the intent to insult the
religion of any class of
people).
George was arrested
earlier this month from
his residence in Erattu-
petta in Kottayam and
then granted bail. The
police had booked him
then on the charge of
makingincendiarycom-
ments against a particu-
lar group of people with
the intention to cause
communal discord and
provoke rioting.
PC George
JD(U) leader writes to Nitish
for safety from Naxal group
Patna (Agencies): A
JD(U) leader in Bihar
has requested Chief
Minister Nitish Kumar
to save the lives of his
family members in-
cluding him from a
Naxal group active in
Darbhanga region.
Awadesh Lal Dev,
who is a general secre-
tary of the JD(U) most
backward cell of Bi-
har, claimed that his
wife has links with a
Naxal commander
Manoj Laldev who is
threatening to kill his
entire family.
Awadesh is a native
of Meghna village un-
der Bahadurpur police
station in Darbhanga
district.
“My wife is working
under the influence of
Naxal commander
Manoj Laldev. On April
23, Manoj along with 50
to 60 Naxals arrived at
my house and threat-
ened us with dire con-
sequences. I had con-
tacted the local police
but they did not take
any action. I also went
to the DGP’s office but
he refused to meet me
by giving an excuse of
corona,” Awadesh said.
“My marriage took
place in 2006. Initially
I did not know the link
of my wife with Manoj.
However, I soon real-
ised that she had a
definite link with him.
In 2012, the matter
reached Bahadurpur
police station and I
agreed on the compro-
mise due to the pres-
sure of local police
personnel,” he said.
Awadesh left the vil-
lage in fear of his wife
and Manoj Laldev, and
is currently living in
Patna with his two mi-
nor daughters. He went
to the chief minister’s
residence in Patna
where security person-
nel did not allow him to
go inside. As there
were a number of me-
dia persons present
there, he shared his
plight with them.
Nitish Kumar
Ex-BJP MLA
threatens a
replay of Babri
on Gyanvapi
Lucknow: Former BJP
MLA Sangeet Som has
made an objectionable
remark on the Gyanva-
pi mosque controversy
.
He allegedly said at a
function to mark the an-
niversary of Maharana
Pratap that people
should remember 1992
— the year when the
Babri mosque was de-
molished.
“That was 1992 and
thisis2022.Thestrength
of the youth has dou-
bled now and time has
come to take another
decision,” he said.
Som also wrote on his
Facebook page that “Au-
rangzeb made the Gyan-
vapi mosque. In 1992, it
was Babri and now in
2022 it is the turn of
Gyanvapi. It is time to
take back the temple
which was demolished
to make a mosque.”
Congress spokesman
Surendra Rajput said:
“This is exactly the
gameplan of the BJP, to
create unrest and divi-
sions in society. We
hope that the BJP real-
ises the damage it is do-
ing to the social fabric
with such statements.
The Gyanvapi issue has
bene raised and so has
the Taj Mahal issue. We
are heading for danger-
ous times.”
Sangeet Som
Rahul in Gujarat, fires
‘two Indias’ salvo at PM
Dahod (PTI): Congress
leader Rahul Gandhi on
Tuesday accused Prime
Minister Narendra
Modi of creating two
Indias, one for the rich
and another for the
poor, and claimed that
the resources of the
country are being given
to a few wealthy people.
Launching his party’s
campaign for this year’s
Gujarat Assembly elec-
tions at an “adivasi saty-
agrah rally’ in tribal
Dahod district, Gandhi
said he is confident that
Congress will come to
power in the State.
“In 2014, Narendra
Modi ji became the
PrimeMinisterof India.
Before that he was the
Chief Minister of Guja-
rat. The work he started
inGujarat,heisdoingin
the country
. It is called
the Gujarat Model,” Ra-
hul Gandhi said.
“Today
, two Indias are
being created, one India
of the rich, a few select
people, billionaires and
bureaucrats who have
power and money
. The
second India is of the
commonpeople,”hesaid.
Congress party does
not want two Indias, he
said.
“In the BJP model, re-
sourcesof peoplelikewa-
ter, forest and land which
belong to tribals and oth-
er poor people, are being
given to a few,” he said.
The Congress leader
also said that the BJP-
led government in the
state had deprived trib-
als of their rights.
Rahul Gandhi
MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022
06
INDIA
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New Delhi: Nine pilots
and 32 cabin crew mem-
bers failed their pre-
flight alcohol tests be-
tween January 1 and
April 30, India’s avia-
tion regulator DGCA
said on Tuesday
.
“Of them, two pilots
and two cabin-crew
members have been
suspended for a period
of three years for being
positive for the second
time,” the Directorate
General of Civil Avia-
tion (DGCA) said in a
statement.
The remaining seven
pilots and 30 cabin crew
members were suspend-
ed for three months as
they tested BA (breatha-
lyser) positive for the
first time, it added.
The DGCA had stated
last month that airlines
must ensure that 50 per
cent of their cockpit
and cabin crew mem-
bers are subjected to
pre-flight alcohol tests
on a daily basis.
‘9 pilots, 32 cabin crew failed pre-flight
alcohol tests between Jan 1  Apr 30’
New Delhi (Agencies):
The Enforcement Direc-
torate has seized three
cars belonging to IAS
officer Pooja Singhal’s
Chartered Accountant
(CA) Suman Kumar in
connection with the
prevention of money
laundering case per-
taining to the MGNRE-
GA funds scam of
around Rs 18 crore.
On Tuesday, Singhal
appeared before the
ED’s team in Ranchi.
Her questioning is still
going on. She is being
asked about the recov-
ery of the huge cash and
her possible involve-
ment in the matter.
PMLA case: ED seizes 3 cars
of IAS Pooja Singhal’s CA
Punjab HC says
no coercive
action against
Bagga till July 6
Chandigarh: The Pun-
jab and Haryana High
Court Tuesday ruled
that BJP leader Ta-
jinder Pal Singh Bagga,
who is facing charges in
a case for allegedly mak-
ing provocative state-
ments on social media
promoting religious en-
mity and criminal in-
timidation, cannot be
arrested till July 6, the
next date of hearing.
The matter came up
for hearing before the
bench of Justice Anoop
Chitkara and went on
for nearly 45 minutes.
The bench was hearing
Bagga’s plea for quash-
ing the FIR registered
against him by Punjab
Police in Mohali for al-
legedly making inflam-
matory statements
against Delhi Chief
Minister Arvind Kejri-
wal as well as his peti-
tion against the arrest
warrants issued by a
Mohali court.
Mohali (Agencies):
Sikh for Justice (SFJ),
thepro-Khalistangroup,
has taken the responsi-
bility for the Rocket Pro-
pelled Grenade (RPG)
attack at Punjab Intelli-
gence HQs in Mohali on
Monday night.
In a suspected voice
message sent to
Himachal Pradesh
chief minister Jai Ram
Thakur, SFJ general
counsel Gurpatwant
Singh Pannu claimed
the responsibility. In
the voice message, Pan-
nu also claimed the re-
sponsibility of raising
Khalistani flags at the
Dharamshala assem-
bly complex.
Pannu further asked
CM Thakur to raise the
referendum 20-20 on
June 6, 2022, on the day
of voting in Himachal,
or face consequences.
He said that Himachal
must take lessons from
grenade attack in Mo-
haliasitcouldhavebeen
Shimla HQs as well.
The voice message
transcripts, “Lesson for
Himachal chief minis-
ter — learn from gre-
nade attack at Mohali
police headquarters —
we raised flag at Dhar-
amshala HQ, do not pro-
voke the Sikh commu-
nity
. SFJ is going to an-
nounce Khalistan refer-
endum 20-20 on June 6
in Himachal on day of
voting. Do not provoke
Sikh community and
start violence because
violence begets vio-
lence, CM Thakur. Mes-
sageisfromGurpatwant
Singh Pannu SFJ Gen-
eral Counsel.”
Pro-Khalistan outfit Sikh for
Justice claims Punjab attack
Mohali attack could have been on Shimla Police: Group warns Himachal CM Thakur
Pannu has been named as the ‘main accused’ in the matter.
Srinagar (Agencies):
Lt. Gen. Amardeep Sin-
gh Aujla, who assumed
command of the strate-
gic Kashmir-based 15
Chinar Corps on May
10, has expressed opti-
mism that the ceasefire
agreement between In-
dia and Pakistan along
the Line of Control
(LoC) “will further en-
able improvement of
the overall security
situation”, an Army
spokesperson said.
After assuming of-
fice in Srinagar’s Bada-
mibagh Cantonment,
Lt. Gen. Aujla ex-
pressed satisfaction
with the improved se-
curity parameters in
the Kashmir valley, the
spokesperson said.
The Army officer,
with an illustrious mili-
tary career spanning 35
years, has said he will
work closely with the
civil administration
and society to further
the cause of peace and
prosperity in Kashmir.
“[With] the support of
all community mem-
bers, Kashmir will
move one step closer to
its glorious past while
leaping forward in the
development barome-
ters,” Lt. Gen. Aujla,
who paid homage at the
Chinar Corps Memorial
atBadamiBaghCanton-
ment in Srinagar, said.
Ceasefire will improve
security in Jammu 
Kashmir: Lt Gen Aujla
New Delhi (Agencies): The Central intelligence
agencies have swung into action after the attack on
Punjab Police’s intelligence headquarters in Mohali
and are collecting
more information on
this. The Intelligence
Bureau, Research
and Analysis Wing
(RAW), The National
Investigation Agency
(NIA), Military Intelligence, National Technical
Research Organisation and the Intelligence Wing
of the BSF have also been gathering information in
this case. Sources in the Intel network said that the
Central Intel wings consider it as an act of terror
and the responsible group has tried to convey a
message by attacking the police building, this could
be a handiwork of the Pakistan supported Khal-
istani elements hiding in the neighbouring country.
The Intel sources also said that the arrested four
Khalistani terrorists from Haryana’s Karnal on May 5
had admitted that the weapons and explosives were
transported from Pakistan through drones.
INTEL AGENCIES ON HIGH ALERT,
GATHERING MORE EVIDENCE  INFO
Terrorists deliberately fire
at civilians to escape: Army
Srinagar (Agencies):
The Indian Army said
on Tuesday that the ter-
rorists deliberately tar-
get the civilians during
encounters to manage
their escape.
Defence ministry,
spokesman said in a
statement, “Based on
an input of likely pres-
ence of terrorists in
general area of Pan-
doshan, located ap-
proximately 4 kms
southeast of Chaud-
hary Gund, Shopian, a
joint cordon  search
operation was
launched by Indian
Army  JK police at
about 7.50 p.m. on May
9, 2022.
“At around 8.30 p.m.
while own teams were
establishing a cordon
around the target
house, the terrorists
started firing indis-
criminately in all direc-
tions in an attempt to
breach the cordon,
thereby putting the
lives of civilians at a
great risk. Sensing
grave threat to the lives
of the civilians, own
teams commenced civil-
ian extrication from the
operation site despite
being heavily fired
upon by the terrorists,”
the statement said.
Security Forces have intensified search operations.
CIVILIAN SUCCUMBS TO INJURIES
Srinagar (PTI): One civilian, who was injured, during
a gunfight between the security forces and the terror-
ists in the Pandoshan village of Jamp;K's Shopian
district, succumbed in the hospital, police sources
said on Tuesday. Another civilian and a soldier, who
were also injured, were said to be stable. The encoun-
ter broke out on Monday. One of the injured civilians
identified as Shahid Gani Dar succumbed in the
hospital while the other injured civilian is stable.
Bhubaneswar (Agen-
cies): The India Meteor-
ological Department
(IMD) on Tuesday said
severe cyclonic storm
Asani has started weak-
ening and will convert
into a cyclonic storm in
next 24 hours.
The severe cyclonic
storm Asani over west-
central and adjoining
southwest Bay of Ben-
gal moved west-north-
westwards with a speed
of 10 kmph during past
six hours and lay cen-
tered over west-central
Bay of Bengal near
about 260 km southeast
of Kakinada (Andhra),
300 km south of Vi-
sakhapatnam, 490 km
south-southwest of Go-
palpur (Odisha) and
570 km south-south-
west of Puri, said di-
rector of Bhubaneswar
Meteorological Centre
on Tuesday.
Gale wind speed
reaching 100-110 kmph
gusting to 120 kmph is
prevailing around the
system center over west-
central Bay of Bengal.
Coastal, South Odisha
to receive heavy rains
‘ASANI’ STARTS WEAKENING
CHENNAI: 10
FLIGHTS
CANCELLED
New Delhi: With severe
cyclonic storm 'Asani'
nearing the Andhra
Pradesh coast, heavy
rains lashed Chennai and
its suburbs on Tuesday.
Asani is expected to
touch the shores on
Wednesday. Ten flights
from the Chennai airport
were cancelled, including
from Jaipur, Visakhapa-
tnam, Mumbai, and
Hyderabad, due to the
heavy downpour.
New Delhi (Agen-
cies): Slain photojour-
nalist Danish Siddiqui
is among four Indians
honoured with the
prestigious Pulitzer
Prize 2022 in the fea-
ture photography cat-
egory.
Siddiqui and his col-
leagues Adnan Abidi,
Sanna Irshad Mattoo
and Amit Dave from
the Reuters news agen-
cy won the award, an-
nounced on Monday,
for “images of Covid’s
toll in India that bal-
anced intimacy and
devastation, while of-
fering viewers a height-
ened sense of place”,
according to The Pu-
litzer Prizes website.
Their work was
moved from the
breaking news photog-
raphy category by
the judges.
Siddiqui, 38, was
killed in July last while
covering clashes be-
tween Afghan troops
and the Taliban in Spin
Boldak district of Kan-
dahar city
.
This is for the second
time that Siddiqui has
won the Pulitzer Prize.
He was honoured with
the prestigious award
in 2018 as part of the
Reuters team for their
coverage of the Roh-
ingya crisis. He had
extensively covered the
Afghanistan conflict,
the Hong Kong protests
and other major events
in Asia, Middle East,
and Europe. Siddiqui
graduated with a de-
gree in Economics
from Jamia Millia Isla-
mia, Delhi. He had a
degree in Mass Com-
munication from the
AJK Mass Communi-
cation Research Centre
at Jamia in 2007.
He started his career
as a television news cor-
respondent, switched to
photojournalism, and
joined Reuters as an in-
tern in 2010.
Marcus Yam of the
Los Angeles Times
bagged the award in
the Breaking News
photography category
“for raw and urgent
images of the US de-
parture from Afghan-
istan that capture the
human cost of the
historic change in the
country”. Yam’s
work was moved from
Feature Photography
by the jury.
SlainphotojournalistDanishSiddiquiamong4Indianshonoured
PULITZER PRIZE
Reuters photographers Adnan Abidi, Sanna Irshad Mattoo, Amit Dave and Danish Siddiqui.
Amravati (Agencies):
Former Andhra
Pradesh Minister P
Narayana was arrested
on Tuesday in connec-
tion with class 10 ques-
tion paper leak case.
A police party from
Chittoor district arrest-
ed Narayana from his
residence at Kondapur
in Hyderabad. He was
being shifted to Chit-
toor where a case was
registered against him.
Narayana, a leader of
opposition TDP, is the
chairman of Narayana
Group of institutions.
Andhra police had ar-
rested headmasters and
teachers of few schools
including a school run
by Narayana group in
connection with the pa-
per leak last week.
Paper leak:Ex-Andhra Min held
BIHAR COLLEGE PRINCIPAL, LECTURERS AMONG
4 ARRESTED FOR BPSC PAPER LEAK: TOP COP
Patna: A college principal and two lecturers who were
expected to conduct the Bihar Public Service Commission
examination at Ara district’s Veer Kunwar Singh College
have been arrested in connection with the paper leak of the
BPSC 67th Prelims Exam conducted and cancelled on Sun-
day. The BDO who was assigned as a magistrate to oversee
the examinations in the area, has also been arrested.
New Delhi (Agencies):
Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi on Tuesday
extended his greetings
and good wishes to
Yoon Suk-yeol who took
charge as the new South
Korean President.
In a tweet, Modi said:
“I extend my heartfelt
greetings and good
wishes to ROK Presi-
dent @sukyeol__yoon
as he commences his
term in office today. I
look forward to meeting
him soon and working
together to further
strengthen and enrich
the India-ROK ties.”
Yoon, a former pros-
ecutor, took the oath of
office as the 13th Presi-
dent of South Koreaand
vowed to rebuild the na-
tion on the foundation
of a liberal democracy
and market economy
.
PM extends
greetings to new
S Korean Prez
Yoon Suk-yeol
New Delhi (Agencies):
Over a dozen United
Hindu Front (UHF) ac-
tivists who were chant-
ing Hanuman Chalisa at
the Qutab Minar were
detained by the Delhi
Police in the national
capital on Tuesday
.
Amidst the ongoing
loudspeaker row, the
Hindu Organisation —
United Hindu Front —
had announced to recite
Hanuman Chalisa on
the premises of the min-
aret today along with
other Hindu groups.
In view of the an-
nouncement, a large
number of Delhi police
and CAPF personnel
were deployed outside
the historic monument
since morning.
Jaibhagwan Goyal,
working president of
UHF, had given a call for
the protest.
Talking to a news
agency
,Goyalsaidhehas
been under house arrest
since morning at his
Shahdhara residence.
“
At least 10-15 police per-
sonnel are outside my
house. They are not al-
lowing me to leave,”the
UHF chief said.
Policedetainright-winggroupactivists
I have been placed
under house arrest,
claims United
Hindu Front chief
HANUMAN CHALISA AT QUTAB MINAR
BIZ BUZZ
MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022
07
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New Delhi (PTI): The
government on Tues-
day said the country’s
coal output rose 29% to
66.58 million tonnes
(MT) in April.
This comes at a time
when the country is
witnessing a power cri-
sis on account of vari-
ous factors, including
shortages of the dry
fuel. The country’s coal
output in April 2021
stood at 51.62 MT, as per
provisional statistics
of the Ministry of Coal.
The ministry in a
statement said dis-
patch of coal to power
utilities grew 18.15% to
61.81 MT during April
2022, compared to 52.32
MT in April 2020.
Of the top 37 coal
producing mines, 22
have performed more
than 100% while the
production from an-
other 10 mines stood
between 80 and 100%.
The ministry further
said decline in the pric-
es of imported coal has
been observed since
the end of October last
year. However, interna-
tional prices are still at
a high level.
The ministry had
earlier said the current
power crisis is mainly
on account of sharp de-
cline in electricity gen-
eration from different
fuel sources and not
due to non-availability
of domestic coal.
In an interview to
PTI, Coal Secretary A
K Jain had attributed
the low coal stocks at
power plants to several
factors such as height-
ened power demand
due to the boom in the
economy post pandem-
ic, early arrival of sum-
mer, rise in price of gas
and imported coal and
sharp fall in electricity
generation by coastal
thermal power plants.
He had added that a
slew of measures are
already underway to
enhance total power
supply in the country
.
The gas-based power
generation, which has
fallen drastically in the
country
, aggravated the
crisis.
The coastal thermal
power plants are now
generating around half
of their capacity be-
cause of the sharp rise
in the prices of import-
ed coal. This has result-
ed in a gap between the
demand and supply of
electricity
.
The secretary had
said states located in
the South and West
have been dependent
on imported coal. And
when domestic coal is
dispatched through
wagons/ rakes to the
plants in these states to
make up for the loss in
imported coal genera-
tion, the turnaround
time of rakes is more
than 10 days, which cre-
ates rake availability
issues for other plants.
Since last year, the
railways has loaded
more coal than ever,
even by curtailing rake
supply to other sectors
to meet the enhanced
demand of the power
sector. There was good
loading of rakes in
March.
INDIA’S COAL OUTPUT UP 29% IN APRIL
COAL TO POWER UTILITIES GREW 18.15% TO 61.81 MT DURING APRIL 2022, COMPARED TO 52.32 MT IN APRIL 2020
KEY FACTORS
Coal-based power
generation rises
9% in April
New Delhi (PTI):
Coal-based power
generation regis-
tered 9.26%rise at
1,02,529 million units
(MU) in April as com-
pared to the year-ago
period.
This comes amid
the country facing
power crisis.
The thermal pow-
er generation was
93,838 MU in April
2021, according to of-
ficial data.
“Coal-based power
generation has regis-
tered a growth of 9.26
per cent in April 2022
as compared to April
2021 and growth of
2.25% as compared to
March 2022,” it said.
The thermal pow-
er generation in
Aprilalsogrew2.25%
when compared to
1,00,276 MU in
March, it said.
The overall power
generation last
month increased
11.75% to 1,36,565 MU
against 1,22,209 MU
in the year-ago peri-
od, it added.
“Total power gen-
eration has also in-
creased in April 2022
to 1,36,565 MU from
1,33,584 MU in March
2022,” it said.
The coal ministry
had earlier said that
the current power
crisis is mainly on
account of sharp de-
cline in electricity
generation from dif-
ferent fuel sources
and not due to non-
availability of do-
mestic coal.
The gas-based
power generation
which has fallen
drastically in the
country, aggravated
the crisis.
Coalimporttopushpowersupplycostfordiscoms
New Delhi (PTI):
The government
measures to ease pow-
er supply constraints
through higher coal
imports are likely to
increase cost of sup-
ply for discoms by 4.5-
5.0 per cent in 2022-23,
Icra said on Tuesday
.
On May 5, Ministry
of Power (MoP) is-
sued a directive under
Section 11 of the Elec-
tricity Act, stating
that all imported coal-
based power plants
shall operate and gen-
erate power at their
full capacity to meet
the growing demand,
Icra stated.
Girishkumar Kad-
am, Senior Vice Presi-
dent  Co-Group Head
- Corporate ratings,
Icra, said all-India en-
ergy demand in April
and May 2022, grew
11.5% and 17.6% year-
on-year, respectively,
also supported by
heat wave and weath-
er conditions, while
tight domestic coal
supply position and
elevated internation-
al coal price levels
continued to affect the
energy generation
levels. Measures di-
rected by MoP are
thus likely to consid-
erably increase the
coal import depend-
ency for the power
sector from about 4%
in FY2022 to about 12-
13 per cent in FY2023,
he added.
Ensure quality
power supply at
reasonable rates
to industries: FM
Chennai (PTI):
Union Finance
Minister Nirma-
la Sitharaman on
Tuesday ap-
pealed to states
to build infra-
structure and do
“energy plan-
ning” thereby en-
suring uninter-
rupted, quality
supply of power
is made available
to industries at
reasonable rates,
enabling them to
grow their busi-
nesses.
At an event
here, she said the
Centre would ex-
tend all its sup-
port to help
states build the
necessary infra-
structure and
this does not per-
tain to Tamil
Nadu but also to
others.
“My appeal to
states is that they
should ensure
electricity and it
should be made
available 24
hours, all 365
days at reasona-
ble rates. Indus-
tries should get
quality power...,”
she said.
Cryptocurrencies
may soon attract
28 per cent GST
New Delhi (Agen-
cies): In what could
further dampen the
mood of crypto inves-
tors in the country, the
GST council is mull-
ing a 28% tax on cryp-
tocurrencies, at par
with the current GST
on casinos, betting
and lottery, multiple
media reports
claimed.
The services such as
crypto mining along
with sales and pur-
chases are likely to at-
tract the 28% GST if
the proposal goes
through in the next
GST meeting.
The Ministry of Fi-
nance has already im-
posed a 30% tax on
profits made from the
transfer of crypto as-
sets and non-fungible
tokens (NFTs).
India distinguishes
between cryptocur-
rencies and crypto as-
sets, and Union Fi-
nance Minister Nir-
mala Sitharaman dur-
ing the Union Budget
2022-23 in February
announced a 30 per
cent tax on income
from these transac-
tions, which includes
a 1 per cent deduction
at source.
New Delhi (PTI): The
World Economic Fo-
rum on Tuesday said
100 new startups, in-
cluding five from India,
have joined its Technol-
ogy Pioneers Commu-
nity and these include
entities from health-
care and financial ser-
vices to the metaverse.
Among the five Indi-
an entities, Vahan is
building a full-stack la-
bour marketplace for
blue-collar workers;
SmartCoin Financials
is a tech-driven finan-
cial inclusion platform
empowering the under-
served; and Recykal is
Asia’s first circular
economy marketplace.
Besides, Proeon is
creating next-genera-
tion plant proteins
with superior taste,
texture and nutrition,
while Pandocorp is
making supply chain
execution intelligent
with a fast logistics
cloud, the WEF said
about the Indian start-
ups on the list.
“Full of young and
growing tech compa-
nies, the 2022 cohort is
forging new paths in
healthcare, food pro-
duction and more with
cutting-edge technolo-
gies,” the WEF said.
This year’s intake
also includes Emerge,
which is improving vir-
tual interactions
through the develop-
ment of a device with
tactile effects for users
at virtual gatherings.
Ampd Energy is re-
shaping the construc-
tion industry by pio-
neering battery energy
storage systems, and
Alife is supporting
healthcare advances by
using artificial intelli-
gence to improve the
success rate of in vitro
fertilisation (IVF).
“The 2022 cohort of
Technology Pioneers is
already bringing great
changes to industries
around the world,” said
Saemoon Yoon, Tech-
nology Pioneers Com-
munity Lead, WEF.
“By joining this com-
munity these emerging
tech leaders can con-
tinue to show not only
the impressive tech ad-
vancements within
their firms but also
how their companies
are helping to build a
better future for us all.”
For the first time,
over one-third of the
selected firms are led
by women.
5 startups among 100 joining Tech Pioneers Community
Among the five
Indian entities,
Vahan is
building a full-
stack labour
marketplace for
blue-collar
workers
CRYPTO INDUSTRY WANTS GOVT TO LOWER
TDS ON TRANSACTIONS
New Delhi (PTI): The crypto industry has urged the
government to reduce the TDS on payments towards
gains arising from trading in cryptocurrencies to 0.01
or 0.05%, from the proposed 1%, saying it will hurt
retail traders. CoinDCX CEO and Co-Founder Sumit
Gupta said 30% tax on income from cryptocurrencies
is on the higher side and should be reduced. “At the
industry (level), we are engaging with the government
and have submitted a presentation on how 30% tax
and more than that, 1% TDS is detrimental to the
growth of the industry. It will lock up capital for traders
and suck liquidity from market. If liquidity is not there,
retail investors will suffer,” Gupta told reporters. The
2022-23 Budget has brought in clarity with regard to
levy of income tax on crypto assets.
SBI hikes interest rates on bulk
term deposits by 40-90 bps
Mumbai (PTI): Coun-
try’s largest lender
State Bank of India on
Tuesday announced a
hike of 40-90 basis
points in the interest
rates on several bulk
term deposits.
The revised interest
rates on bulk term de-
posits amounting to `2
crore and above are ef-
fective from Tuesday,
the bank said.
While interest rate on
deposits maturing be-
tween 7 days and 45
days has been kept un-
changed at 3%, those
maturing between 46
and 179 days will now
attract an interest rate
of 3.50% as against 3%
earlier.
The public sector
lender also revised in-
terest rate on bulk term
deposits maturing be-
tween 180 and 210 days
by 40 basis points to
3.50%, as against 3.10%
earlier, as per the bank’s
website.
Deposits maturing
between 211 days and
less than 1 year will
earn an interest of 3.75
per cent, up 45 bps from
3.30%.
New Delhi (Agen-
cies): The Indian
economy is currently
facing high underly-
inginflationandneeds
further policy tighten-
ing, according to a
note by Nomura.
Only four nations in
Asia feature in the
basket of ‘hot’ econo-
mies wherein the in-
flation rate is on the
higher end of the spec-
trum  it include In-
dia, Singapore, South
Korea, and Taiwan.
The nations featur-
ing in the ‘hot’ bucket
need further policy
tightening, the note
says. “For the four
economies in our
‘HOT’ inflation buck-
et, real policy rates
remain significantly
negative, which calls
for more policy tight-
ening, with the risk
that policy will need to
be front-loaded and
need to move beyond
neutral.” Countries
featuring in the
‘warm’ bucket, i.e,
those economies
where underlying in-
flation is around the
target but on an up-
trend, include Indone-
sia, Malaysia, Philip-
pines,  Thailand.
Hong Kong is the only
country to feature in
the ‘cold’ bucket as it
faces low, stable under-
lying inflation.
Sensex, Nifty
continues to
fall for the third
day in a row
Mumbai (PTI): Equity
indices failed to hold on
to their gains in see-saw
trade on Tuesday, end-
ing in the red for the
third straight session
despite a tentative re-
covery in global equites.
The 30-share BSE
Sensex had a choppy
start but gained mo-
mentum in mid-session
trade. However, it suc-
cumbed to selling pres-
sure towards the fag
end to close 105.82
points or 0.19% lower at
54,364.85. On similar
lines, the broader NSE
Nifty declined 61.80
points or 0.38% to finish
at 16,240.05.
Tata Steel was the
biggest loser in the
Sensex pack.
SBI BOARD APPROVES RAISING UP TO $2 BN
VIA BONDS IN 2022-23 FINANCIAL YEAR
New Delhi (PTI): The country’s largest lender SBI on Tuesday
said its board has approved raising up to $2 billion (about Rs
15,430 crore) from the overseas market during the current
fiscal to fund foreign business growth.The central board has
approved raising of funds through single or multiple tranches,
SBI said in a regulatory filing. The long-term funds of up to $2
billion would be raised through a public offer and/or private
placement of senior unsecured notes in US dollar or any other
convertible currency during 2022-23, it added.
INFLATION IN INDIA
‘HOT’, SAYS REPORT
MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022
08
2NDFRONT
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Experience gives us the
vision not to see ‘much’ but
to see ‘wisely’.
—Jagdeesh Chandra,
CEO  Editor-in-Chief, First India
Renni Abraham
Mumbai: The Enforce-
ment Department (ED)
insists that the state-run
Sir JJ Group of Hospi-
tals (JJ) is well equipped
to meet the medical re-
quirements of MVA
ministers Anil Desh-
mukh and Nawab Malik
and wants the special
courttorejecttheirpleas
for medical treatment in
private hospitals.
The legal counsel for
former Maharashtra
home minister Desh-
mukh and minister for
minorities and Wakf
board Malik, of the Na-
tionalist Congress Par-
ty (NCP), in turn, insist
on their right to seek
their choice of special-
ized medical interven-
tion through a special-
ized medical facility
and doctors, also of
their own choice.
While the special
PMLA court was yet
to decide on the legal-
ity of the issue at the
time of going to print,
a larger question aris-
es: Is the public health
system administered
by the Maharashtra
government and its lo-
cal self-body in Mum-
bai, the Brihanmum-
bai Municipal Corpo-
ration, up to scratch?
Consider this: Mum-
bai’s KEM has the dis-
tinction of being only
the third super-speciali-
ty hospital in the world
to carry out a heart
transplant surgery (In-
dia’s first) way back in
1968. Similarly
, the first
(living donor) liver
transplant was also an-
other surgical feat car-
riedoutinthesameyear.
Another super speci-
ality public hospital in
Mumbai,
the Sion
Hospital,
car ried
out the first (cadaver)
kidney transplant in
1997. However, the fol-
lowing decades saw
these pioneer multi-or-
gan transplant (public)
institutions losing their
pre-eminence in the
global medical order,
with private hospitals
taking over.
D r
Surendra
Kumar Ma-
thur, President, Zonal
Transplant Coordina-
tion Centre (ZTCC) set
up by the Maharashtra
government over two
decades ago says, “We
are at par with Interna-
tional standards in or-
gan transplants and, in
fact, India is a world
leader in the sphere of
living donor liver trans-
plant procedures. On
technicality and quali-
ty benchmarks we are
at par with the western
world today. India com-
mands huge experience
and has been a pioneer
in living donor liver
transplants. While
South Korea and Japan
were ahead at one stage
today we boast of the
best brains and (surgi-
cal) hands in India.”
However, the prefer-
ence for private hospi-
tals by the rich and
famous is only too evi-
dent in India, Maha-
rashtra and Mumbai,
owing to a deliberate
quality downgrade
that accompanies ad-
ministrative bureau-
cracy in several gov-
ernment-run institu-
tions.
“The problem started
when non-government-
run hospitala entered
intoprivatetreatieswith
their doctors, who want-
ed the liberty to charge
overandabovetheirpre-
scribed tariff structures
from VIP patients. The
doctorsearnedmore,the
management trusts
earned more, and pa-
tients started paying
throughtheirnoses.The
deterioration of public
health institutions be-
gan from there,” a well-
placed doctor in a super-
speciality private hospi-
tal in Mumbai told First
India, asking not to be
named for fear of profes-
sional blowback.
First India Bureau
Mumbai: Mumbai re-
ported 122 COVID-19
cases on Tuesday, a
steep rise from the 63
cases detected a day ear-
lier, a civic official said.
This is the seventh time
the daily addition to the
tally was above the 100-
mark this month.
The tally in the me-
tropolisreached10,60,914
and the fatality count
remained unchanged at
19,563, he said.
So far, 10,40,507 per-
sons have been dis-
charged post-recovery
,
including 100 during the
day
, leaving the city with
anactivecaseloadof 844,
the official said.
Of the new cases, only
tworequiredhospitaliza-
tion, though they are not
in need of oxygen sup-
port, the official said,
adding that just 25 of the
25,249 hospital beds ear-
marked for COVID-19
treatment were current-
ly occupied.
Brihanmumbai Mu-
nicipalCorporationdata
showed the positivity
rate was 0.015%, the re-
coveryratewas98%,and
the overall growth rate
of cases between May 03
and 09 stood at 0.010%.
First India Bureau
Mumbai: Chief Min-
ister Uddhav Thack-
eray, on Tuesday,
chaired a review
meeting of the Board
of Directors of Maha-
rashtra Airport De-
velopment Company
Extensive at Varsha
Niwas. He instructed
the Board that the
work in the action
plan for the develop-
ment of airports in
the state should be
completed as a matter
of priority.
CM said that the “The
Maharashtra Airport
Development Company
should pay attention to
the quality of air servic-
es in Shirdi and other
districts. Work on the
existing projects at Mi-
han should be expedit-
ed,” adding that “the
Samrudhi Highway will
also give impetus to the
ongoing air traffic in the
nearby district, so the
proposed projects in this
area should be complet-
ed.Theongoingworkfor
the expansion of Kol-
hapur-Ratnagiriairport,
an extension of Amra-
vati airport runway
shouldalsobecompleted
at the earliest.”
He also instructed the
Boardtotakeimmediate
actionregardingthepro-
posed project of a satel-
lite airport at Palghar.
It was decided at the
meeting that the air-
ports completed by the
Maharashtra Industri-
al Development Corpo-
ration should be trans-
ferred to the Maha-
rashtra Airport Devel-
opment Company so
that it would be easier
for a single entity to
work on the develop-
ment of the airline.
Thackerey presented
the MADC Award to
Managing Director
Deepak Kapoor in the
category of ‘Best State
with a Dedicated Out-
look for the Aviation
Sector’.
Effectively implement action plan for airport development: CM
EASE OF FLYING
lll
Also instructed
Board to take
immediate
action
regarding
proposed
project of
satellite airport
at Palghar
WHAT HAPPENED TO MUMBAI’S
PUBLIC HEALTHCARE SYSTEM?
Deshmukh, Malik’s disinclination to be treated at JJ Hosp shows lack of faith in eroding public healthcare
Thackerey presented the MADC Award to Managing Director Deepak Kapoor in the category of ‘Best
State with a Dedicated Outlook for the Aviation Sector’ on Tuesday. 
NARVEKAR VISITS SARISKA
Milind Narvekar, secretary and political advisor to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav
Thackeray, and his wife Meera, went for a tiger safari in the Sariska Tiger Reserve in
Alwar on Monday. The adventurers spotted tiger ST 21 and tigress ST 9 at Ghanka
water point. They also offered prayers at the Pandupol Hanumanji temple. Later, the
political aide also met Sariska Field Director RN Meena and District Forest Officer
(DFO) Sudarshan Sharma, and was provided with information about the tiger reserve. A
possibility of bringing tigers from Maharashtra to Alwar’s reserve was also discussed.
With 122 cases, Mum sees 7th 100+ jump in May
As many as 7,678 samples were examined in the last 24 hours.
New Delhi (ANI):
The Directorate of
Revenue Intelligence
(DRI) has successful-
ly foiled attempts of
organised gold smug-
gling racket through
air routes by effecting
two successive sei-
zures in Lucknow and
Mumbai last week,
which had a common
method of conceal-
ment of gold.
After having re-
ceived precise intelli-
gence on May 6, DRI
officals inspected a
consignment which
had arrived from
Dubai at Air Cargo
Complex, Chhatrapa-
ti Shivaji Maharaj In-
ternational Airport
in Mumbai. In the im-
port documents, the
item was declared as
‘sectional  drum
type drain cleaning
machines’, but on
careful examination,
5.8 kg gold worth Rs
3.10 crore in disc form
was found con-
cealed inside
two motor ro-
tors of the machine
imported in the said
consignment.
The importer was
located in south Mum-
bai and was arrested.
The importer has
been sent to judicial
custody by the Court.
This seizure in
Mumbai was on the
heels of another sei-
zure made by DRI Of-
ficers in Lucknow a
day earlier on May 5.
In that case too, DRI
intercepted an import
cargo said to contain
“electrical threading
machine” at Air Car-
go Complex of Chaud-
hary Charan Singh
International Air-
port, Lucknow, and
gold discs were found
concealed in the ma-
chines in very similar
fashion. Total 5.2 kg
gold, valued at Rs 2.78
crore, was seized.
DRI foils gold smuggling
plans, seizes `5.88 cr gold
Over the last year, DRI
has effected significant
seizures of gold from
cargo and courier
consignments. In July
2021, DRI had seized
16.79 kg gold, worth
Rs8 crore, from
a courier
consign-
ment, followed by
seizure of 80.13 kg
smuggled gold, valued
at Rs 39.31 crore, in
November 2021 from
a cargo consignment,
both at
New
Delhi.
ALMOST 50KG GOLD
RECOVERED JULY-DEC 2021
Mumbai’s KEM has the distinction of being only
the third super-speciality hospital in the world to
carry out a heart transplant surgery (India’s first)
way back in 1968. Similarly, the first (living donor)
liver transplant was also another surgical feat car-
ried out in the same year. Another super special-
ity public hospital in Mumbai, the Sion Hospital,
carried out the first cadaver kidney transplant in
1997. However, the following decades saw these
pioneering multi-organ transplant institutions los-
ing their pre-eminence in the global medical order,
with private hospitals taking over.
ONCE THEY WERE GIANTS
We are at
par with
interna-
tional standards,
in terms of tech-
nicality and
quality in organ
transplants, and
India is a world
leader in living
donor liver trans-
plant procedures.
While South Ko-
rea and Japan
were ahead once,
today we boast of
the best brains
and (surgical)
hands in India.”
—Dr Surendra Kumar
Mathur, president, ZTCC
EXCLUSIVE
—FILE PHOTO
MUMBAI, WEDNESDAY,
MAY 11, 2022
ndo-Western fashion, of-
ten known as fusion fash-
ion, embraces the beauty
of both Western and Indi-
an traditions while foster-
ing innovation across bor-
ders. From ethnic needlework
like Punjabi Phulkari and Ra-
jasthani mirror work incorpo-
rated into western-style clothes.
Styles like Chanderi, Meenakari,
Kundan, Resham, and Zardozi
are used in more intricate work.
Rajasthan State Handloom Cor-
poration, under the leadership of
CMD Neha Giri IAS, conducted
the Rajasthan Handloom Show
2022 on the eve of Rajasthan Di-
was, which is observed on March
30 every year. The fashion show
was conducted with the motive to
promote sustainable fashion as
well as the craftsmen, weavers,
and manufacturers behind tex-
tile crafts. Aachho, the fashion
design development partner is
one of India’s premier ethnic
wear fashion firms situated in
Jaipur. The complete collection
was developed utilising indige-
nous natural materials and tradi-
tional dyeing and printing pro-
cesses. The astonishing
fused collection by Aachho
was developed utilising in-
digenous natural materials and
traditional dyeing and printing
processes by Rimjhim Hada,
Founder and Creative Head of
Aachho, with an emphasis on
integrating ethnic fashion tra-
ditions with modern sensibili-
ties. Pastel shades embroi-
dered Chanderi fabric is
soothingly soft and refresh-
ing to the eyes. Feminine
and delicate, that create a
poetic impression, go for a
minimal approach to styl-
ing when you choose to
wear PASTELS!
The fashion show,
which took place at Hawa
Mahal, one of Jaipur’s
most iconic locations, included
models from Style Skool as
well as supermodels Candice
Pinto and Deepti Gujral as
showstoppers.
Sizzlin Scizzors, the official
make-up  hair partner followed
the show theme, giving all the
models a striking look  Diggi
Palace set an example for amaz-
ing hospitality for guests. The
show was directed by the re-
nowned TV stylist and fashion
Choreographer, Abhimanyu Sin-
gh Tomar and the entire event
was managed by Abhishek Singh
from Vanamo Entertainment. Of-
ficial fashion photographer Yash
Jangid captured magical mo-
ments thru his lens.
The collection will be available
on aachho.com starting June 1st.
UTTKARSHA SHEKHAR
uttkarsha.shekhar@firstindia.co.in
I
AACHHO JAIPUR KNITS MAGIC AT THE RAJASTHAN
HANDLOOM SHOW 2022 AS AN EXCLUSIVE DESIGN
DEVELOPMENT PARTNER. THE FOCUS OF THE
COLLECTION IS ON FUSING ETHNIC DRESS
TRADITIONS WITH A CONTEMPORARY SENSIBILITY
09
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EXQUISITE HUE OF
FASHION!
MONA,
Model
FACE
OF
THE
DAY!
Aries
MARCH 21 - APRIL 20
Dietary control will
benefit. Assistance of
colleagues will help
complete a project
much before time. A
family youngster is likely to make you
proud. Don’t be hasty in matters
pertaining to property. An entertaining
time with near and dear ones is
foreseen. A raise is on the cards.
Gemini
MAY 21 - JUNE 21
You will manage to
showcase your
professional skills to
those who matter.
Playing your cards well
in a family situation will get you the
support and attention you crave for.
Taking possession of a new house may
become a reality for some. You won’t
keep a regular exercise routine.
Leo
JULY 24 - AUGUST 23
Whatever you deal in
today is likely to turn to
gold! Those experienc-
ing a cash crunch will
manage to overcome it
by tight budgeting. A family member
may prove annoying by not doing your
bidding. Good returns can be expected
by those investing in property. A good
routine will help you in health.
Libra
SEPTEMBER 24 - OCTOBER 22
Your desire to increase
earning may need to be
put on hold temporarily
till the time is right.
Your health conscious-
ness will keep you hale and hearty.
Pending things on the home front may
hinder official work. Those looking to
buy property are likely to get one at
bargain price.
Sagittarius
NOVEMBER 23 - DECEMBER 22
Inculcating physical
workouts in your
lifestyle will benefit
health. A family get
together can find you
into your element. You will have enough
to invest in a suitable property. Interest
in whatever you have undertaken on the
academic front may wane, so find ways
to remain focused.
Aquarius
JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 19
Settling down in a new
house is indicated for
some. You can feel
overworked on the
professional front.
Spouse can expect a helping hand. An
invitation to a party or function may
provide you an opportunity to meet
someone special. Savings is the only
way you by which you can repay loans.
Taurus
APRIL 21 - MAY 20
Someone may do for
you more than what was
expected on the social
front. Your life will turn
better if you accept the
changes with ease. Fingers may be
pointed at you for something you are
not responsible for. You can find
yourself fitter with regular exercises. A
property may come into your name.
Cancer
JUNE 22 - JULY 23
A new project will
proceed smoothly as
you get help from all
quarters. You will need
to handle a tensed
family member with sympathy. A
property dispute can pit you against
someone close. A misunderstanding
with someone is likely to be cleared.
You will find lover most considerate.
Virgo
AUGUST 24 - SEPTEMBER 23
Those ailing can expect
their condition to
improve. Not much
gains on the monetary
front are indicated.
Those feeling restless in a particular job
will be able to settle down in time.
Interruptions on the domestic front are
foreseen that will not allow you to do
your own thing.
Scorpio
OCTOBER 23 - NOVEMBER 22
Peak physical fitness
will make even
strenuous activities
seem like child’s play.
Bad mood of a family
member may spoil the domestic
environment. A holiday promises
much rest and rejuvenation. A thing
you had been apprehensive about will
turn out in your favour.
Capricorn
DECEMBER 23 - JANUARY 20
A forthcoming family
event is likely to raise
your spirits. Those
dealing with property
issues may need to be
careful not to get into legal hassles. A
get together will prove refreshing. Lack
of energy may make you postpone
some important tasks. A quiet evening
with lover seems difficult.
Pisces
FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 20
Work front may appear
a bit too demanding,
but you will be able to
handle it well. Problems
faced on the health
front show signs of disappearing
completely. A family get-together will
provide an excellent opportunity to
meet people. Social front will be
happening, but may waste time.
10
ETC
MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022
www.firstindia.co.in I https://firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
‘PK... THE IDEA CRAVES FOR...’
rovidentially,
PK was born in
1977, the year
when the dark
clouds of an
E m e r g e n c y
period were be-
ing scattered under pres-
sure from a disjointed
opposition. As PK grew
up, his brilliant mind,
charisma and passion for
clean politics took him
on a “rollercoaster ride,”
as he aptly tweeted on
April 2.
Over-anxious, ill-in-
formed  biased journal-
ists/anchors, along with
cynical, envious and in-
secure politicians keep
trying to tie PK down and
brand him inside a small
pen. They call him over-
ambitious, a fox, a hedge-
hog, a snake or even a
trojan horse. To their ut-
ter frustration, such in-
sinuations and dirt does
not stick to him because
what they see in him are
their reflections.
PK is a driven man on
a mission, and as he says,
with a “quest to be a
meaningful participant
in Democracy” These
lofty ideals just do not go
down anybody’s throat
owing to their cynicism,
corruption and rejection
of the truth.
They can neither deci-
pher his outer Calm
(Prashant), nor the inner
sprightliness of a Colt
(Kishor). He stands tall,
sits straight and speaks
the truth. This conduct
belies the chicanery of
most of the Legislators
and so-called “guardi-
ans” of the Fourth Es-
tate. The fact that the
Executive is the hidden
steering wheel in this
conspiracy, is another
story
, for another day !!
So what does a man of
such character  equani-
mous passion do ?? He
does what his idol MK
Gandhi did !!....... That
great soul shed every-
thing, including most of
his clothes, and went to
his people for a deeper
understanding of real In-
dia.
When PK sensed that it
was time to shed most of
these power-hungry, in-
corrigible, self-seeking
“owners” of political
parties, he tweeted this
simple  eloquent mes-
sage as a master commu-
nicator: “ .....Time to go
to the Real Masters, THE
PEOPLE, to better un-
derstand the issues  the
path to “Jan Suraj” - Peo-
ple’s Good Governance !!
It is as obvious as to-
morrow’s sunrise that it
will be an uphill task for
PK.........a start from
scratch. But then, which
mountain was con-
quered by landing on the
peak by parachute ?? All
climbs to the summit be-
gin from the little base
camps.
Since we Indians are
so besotted by our Cine-
ma, it would be apt to
analogise PK with a hero
of Hindi Movies. PK can
be fairly compared to the
quintessential actor: Ra-
jendra Kumar. Apart
from the resemblance
 demeanour, he
also carries the
Midas touch of
the “Silver Jubilee Ku-
mar”. That was an era
when a movie’s success
was measured by the
number of
s c r e e n -
ings in a particular thea-
tre, rather than the 00-100
crore weekend sprint. PK
is a marathon man with
the patience, stamina 
strategy for such a run.
His Midas touch has
been proven
by his
ability to push potential
but marginal wins into
landslide victories, each
 every time. The lone
UP failure proved to be
the exception to his rule.
All those who did lend
him an ear and actioned
his strategy walked away
with a minimum of 70
per cent of the elected
legislators !!
It would not be too far-
fetched to call PK the
“Landslide Kishore”,
though he would surely
shun this presumptuous
 restrictive Brand
name.
Amongst the wicked
villains Rajendra Kumar,
like PK, was the prover-
bial boy-next-door, the
ideal son, brother, hus-
band and top-class pro-
fessional. A toiling Hero
for Mother India.
As PK heads for the
dusty villages of his
home-state Bihar, it is to
be seen if this self-effac-
ing man with the wisdom
 certitude of a sage, will
take his mission to Gan-
dhian peaks.
Most will say that my
imagination is running
wild like a Colt !!
But isn’t it the same
IDEA that we all crave??
RAINU SINGH
singh.rainu@gmail.com
P
Prashant Kishor
YOUR DAY Horoscopeby
SaurabbhSachdeva
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11052022_First India_Mumbai.pdf

  • 1. Parliament’s 1897 law is unquestionable, IT says sorry over summons on jumbo nCoV centres I-T DEPT HIT BY EPIDEMIC ACT, BMC CHIEF HAS CARTE BLANCHE! Renni Abraham Mumbai: Chief Min- ister, Uddhav Thack- eray, who heads the MVA government, told the state legisla- tive assembly in March that Union gov- ernment agencies were being misused to concertedly target non-BJP-ruled state governments, opposi- tion party leaders and bureaucrats. He was quite right, if the ex- perience of Brihan- mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal is any- thing to go by. In February, Cha- hal’s office was issued a summons by the In- come Tax (I-T) depart- ment seeking specific details about nine jum- bo medical centres, with a capacity of 15,000 beds, set up in Mumbai in the wake of the COVID-19 pan- demic of 2020. Almost simultaneously, the Enforcement Directo- rate also launched in- vestigations against the daughters of fire- brand Shiv Sena spokesperson and Member of Parlia- ment Sanjay Raut, re- garding their commer- cial involvement with the BKC and Gore- gaon-based jumbo COVID-19 centres. Strangely, on April 07, the I-T de- partment withdrew the sum- mons issued to the BMC Chief and even apologized for the ‘in- convenience’ to his office. A senior I-T officer told First India, “Therearein- d i v i d u a l cases of aberra- tion caused by the over- zealous conduct of some officers. In fact, in October 2021, the Bom- bay High Court also is- sued orders against another I-T officer for similar insensitivity, and penalized him Rs25,000 from his sala- ry . These things should not happen, but some- times do.” Incidentally, Chahal was also served an- other IT summons in March following raids conducted on former BMC standing com- mittee chairperson Yashwanth Jadhav. This summons sought details on the names and PAN card details of the standing com- mittee chairman for 2017-2018 and 2019- 2020, BMC scrutiny committee members and of then BMC com- missioner Praveen Pardeshi (who was drafted into the Cen- tre’s Department of Personnel by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his tenure as BMC Chief). Chahal told First In- dia that he had fur- nished all the details sought by the I-T de- partment in the Jadhav case. Queried on the issue of the nCoV hospitals summons, the BMC Chief was reluctant to comment on the I-T de- partment’s apparent fumble. “We are officers of the government and the summon was is- sued to BMC and not (to me) in my individual capacity . Subsequently , after I addressed a (le- gal) response, the I-T department informed me that the summons stood withdrawn with immediate effect and, any inconvenience caused was regretted,” he said. However, according to a senior state secre- tariat official, “The BMC Chief was ad- vised to consult legal opinion and, subse- quently, sent his reply through his advocate. The I-T department also consulted legal advisers and the sum- mons was withdrawn six weeks after it was issued.” Turn to P2 First India Bureau Mumbai: Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma will be accorded a state funer- al, Chief Minister Ud- dhav Thackeray’s of- fice said in a statement on Tuesday as he and Governor Bhagat Sin- gh Koshyari led other leaders in condoling the death of the San- toor maestro. The Santoor virtuo- so died here on Tues- day following a heart attack. He was 84. Pt Shiv Kumar Shar- ma will be cremated with state honours. The chief minister has given the order in this regard, the CMO said in a statement. CM Thack- eray said Pt S h a r m a i n t r o - d u c e d santoor to the w o r l d . He mes- m e r i s e d people not only in India but also across the world with his music. “Santoor reached where Indian music reached. This is the contribution of Pt Sharma’s continuous sadhana (disci- plined and dedicated practice) the Indi- an mu- sic field c a n n e v e r forget Pt Sharma’s c o n t r i b u - tion,” the state- ment cited Thackeray as saying. The chief minister described Pt Sharma as the pride of the Indian music field. Koshyari too ex- pressed pain and shock overPtSharma’sdeath. In his condolence message, the governor said, “The news of the demise of Pt Shiv Ku- mar Sharma is shock- ing. Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma was instru- mental in taking San- toor and Indian classi- cal music to the global stage.” He described the Santoor maestro as a “great artist, guru, re- searcher, thinker and above all a kind-heart- ed human being”. Pt Shiv Kumar Shar- ma mentored many disciples and enriched the world of music with his multifari- ous contributions, Koshyari said. NCP chief Sharad Pawar said that he was “deeply saddened” by Pt Shar- ma’s death. State funeral for Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma: Maha govt Santoor maestro passed away at the age of 84, following a heart attack CYCLONE WARNING CYCLONE WARNING A river traffic police personnel makes an announcement as part of precautionary measures against Cyclone Asani, on the banks of Ganga river, in Kolkata on Tuesday. — PHOTO BY PTI See P6 Iqbal Singh Chahal www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstin MUMBAI l WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI TITLE NO. MAHENG/2022/14652 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 5 OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, LUCKNOW, NEW DELHI MUMBAI CONFIDENT THAT AFSPA WILL SOON BE REVOKED FROM WHOLE OF ASSAM: AMIT SHAH IN GUWAHATI P5 HIGH COURT REFUSES NOD TO TEENAGE RAPE VICTIM TO ABORT 29-WEEK FOETUS P3 CYCLONE ASANI: NAVY’S EASTERN COMMAND IN VISAKHAPATNAM STEPS UP WITH AID P6 MOHALI BLAST: PUNJAB CM BHAGWANT MANN SAYS ‘CULPRITS WON’T BE SPARED’ P6 ALLAHABAD HC GRANTS INTERIM BAIL TO SP LEADER AZAM KHAN, ORDER ON SURETY OF `2L HOLD SEDITION LAW TILL REVIEW? SC WANTS CENTRE’S REPLY TODAY A three-judge presided by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana gave the government time till Wednesday to make its stand about pending cases clear Top Court also sought to know if the govt can issue a direction to states to keep cases under Section 124A in abeyance till re-examination is complete 1 2 New Delhi: The Su- preme Court on Tues- day gave the Centre 24 hours to inform the apex court whether it will issue instructions to all states and Union territories to keep sedi- tion cases in abeyance till the government’s proposed exercise of re- viewing Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was completed. The Centre will come back with a reply on Wednesday . “In order to protect the interest of people who are already booked under the sedition law as well as future cases, Centre to file response on whether those can be kept in abeyance till law is re-examined,” the Chief Justice directed. Earlier, the court asked the government tough questions on its request for more time in order to review the law and about incidents of misuse of the law. MINORITY STATUS FOR HINDUS: TAKE A STAND WITHIN 3 MONTHS: SC The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that the affidavit filed by BJP-led Union govern- ment on Monday in response to a prayer seeking minority status for Hindus in certain states and Union territories where their numbers have gone below others “seems to an extent to backout of what was stated” in an “earlier” affidavit filed on March 25 this year and that the court doesn’t “appreciate” this. MAJITHIA’S PLEA SEEKING QUASHING OF FIRs REJECTED SC STAYS NON-BAILABLE WARRANT AGAINST IAS RITU The Supreme Court on Tuesday re- fused to entertain a plea of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia seeking quashing of FIR registered against him by Punjab Police under the NDPS Act of 1985 and gave him liberty to ap- proach Punjab and Haryana HC. Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the non-bailable warrant issued by Allahabad High Court against Noida Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and IAS officer Ritu Maheshwari in con- nection with contempt proceedings against her. The court has listed the matter for Wednesday. l Lankan authorities said a mob assaulted a top Sri Lankan police officer and set his vehicle on fire l Armed forces have been ordered to open fire at anyone looting public property or causing harm to others: Defence Ministry l Cricketer Ranatunga accuses police of han- dling situation badly l Rajapaksa’s residence set on fire, curfew en- forced after 5 killed in the huge violence Lanka ex-PM,kin take shelter at naval base; curfew enforced after 5 killed Colombo: Protests erupted at the Trinco- malee Naval Base in Sri Lanka after it was known that the former PM Mahinda Rajapaksa and some of his family members were taking shelter, as per sources. As per sources, after leaving the official resi- dence,ex-PMandhisfam- ily members were put up at naval base. In a tweet, it reported that a protest wasunderwayinfrontof Trincomalee Naval Base whereitwasclaimedthat Rajapaksa his family members were staying. ‘Guided by ‘Best Interests’ of Lanka’s people’ India on Tuesday reacted to devps in Sri Lanka and said that it will “always be guided by best interests of people of Sri Lanka expressed through democratic processes”. “In keeping with our Neighbourhood First policy, India has extended, this year alone, support worth over US$ 3.5 billion to people of Lanka for helping them. People of India have provided assis- tance for mitigating shortages of essential items such as food, medicine, etc,” Arindam Bagchi, MEA spokesperson said. Man walks past burnt vehicles a day after clashes between govt supporters and anti-govt protesters in Colombo on Tuesday. KEY HIGHLIGHTS CBI raids over FCRA violation: 10 arrested New Delhi: Ten people, including five govt offi- cials,havebeenarrested for taking bribe on be- half of non-profits in al- leged violation of for- eign funding rules, CBI said after a big nation- wide crackdown across 40 locations. Home Min- istry officials, say CBI sources, gave illegal Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) clearances to NGOs in exchange of bribe. Ille- gal transactions of around ₹Rs 2 crore rout- ed through hawala have been found, said agency after searches in Delhi, Rajasthan, Chennai, Mysore, among others. J-K BANK FRAUD: RAIDS @ 8 PLACES Month after ED ques- tioned NC leader Omar Abdullah, CBI on Tues- day conducted searches at multiple locations in Mumbai, Delhi, Jammu and Srinagar in connec- tion with the JK Bank buying 65,000 sq ft office space in Mumbai in 2010. Among loca- tions searched by CBI are residences of exbank chairman Haseeb Drabu.
  • 2. NEWS MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022 02 www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia First India Bureau Mumbai: Days after Ut- tar Pradesh BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh asked Raj Thack- eray to apologize to north Indians before visiting Ayodhya, the NCP on Tuesday claimed the BJP leader laid down the condition to puncture the MNS chief’s “inflated ego”. Maharashtra NCP’s Chief SpokespersonMa- hesh Tapase also ques- tioned why Thackeray, who otherwise issues orders and ultimatums inMaharashtra,wasnot replying to the BJP MP . Thackeray’s Ayodhya visit will happen if he apologizes to north In- dians. But, he will not be able to open his mouth before the Mar- athi manoos in Maha- rashtra if he does so. The BJP has entangled Thackeray politically, Tapase claimed. Raj Thackeray re- cently gave an ultima- tum to the Maharashtra government (compris- ing the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress) to re- move loudspeakers from mosques by May 3. He had also said that he will visit Ayodhya on June 5 to seek blessings of Lord Ram. His party MNS, formed to raise the cause of sons-of-the soil, had targeted north Indians in the past and also agitated against students from there ap- pearing in an exam in Maharashtra. Singh had last week opposed Thackeray’s June 5 visit to Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh and warned that the latter would not be allowed to enter the city till he ten- dered a public apology for allegedly humiliat- ing north Indians. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Tapase also said Singh’s opposition to Thackeray’s pro- posed Ayodhya visit shows the BJP’s real stance with regard to the MNS chief. Meanwhile, Maha- rastra minister and state NCP chief Jayant Patil, without naming anyone, said, “Some people are trying to see that riots take place and that there is a law and order problem in the state. But, we should not fall prey to this design.” First India Bureau Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra gov- ernment to forthwith issue an ‘orphan certifi- cate’ to two students, residing in a home for abandoned and or- phaned girls in the city, so that they can appear for the National Eligi- bility cum Entrance Test (NEET), 2022. A division bench comprising Justice Re- vati Mohite Dere and Justice Madhav Jamdar passed the order on May 06, a copy of which was made available on May 10, while hearing an ap- plication filed by ‘The Nest India Foundation’, an NGO, which runs the children’s home. The application stat- ed that two residents of the home had applied to the Mumbai District Women and Child De- velopment Office for is- suance of the ‘orphan certificate’ in Novem- ber 2020. The duo required the certificate to apply for the examination and ad- mission to an MBBS de- gree course. The petitioner’s advo- cate, Abhinav Chandra- chud, had argued that despite several trips to the concerned office and phone calls, the cer- tificate was not issued. Government pleader Purnima Kantharia told the court that there were certain deficien- cies and shortcomings in the applications and hence, the certificate had not been issued. The court noted that the application for issu- ance of the orphan cer- tificate was submitted in November 2020 and till date, no action has been taken by the au- thority concerned. “It is also significant to note that till date, the authorities have failed to inform about the na- ture of deficiencies in the applications,” said the court. The court directed the authority to issue and grant orphan cer- tificates to both stu- dents within a week. Issue orphan certificate to 2 girls for NEET 2022 attempt: HC STERN ORDER lll Division bench calls out Maha govt for failing to take any action since filing of applications by the students in Nov 2020 Thackeray recently gave an ultimatum to the Maha govt to remove loudspeakers from mosques by May 3 Somaiya extorted crores in donations from firms: Raut Sena approaches cops to seek probe into MP’s hospital videos First India Bureau Mumbai: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday alleged that BJP leader Kirit So- maiya extorted crores in the form of dona- tions from companies under the scanner of Central agencies. Raut alleged the So- maiyas controlled ‘Yu- vak Pratishthan’ re- ceived suspicious do- nations from several companies. Kirit Somaiya was not available for com- ment. “Money has been ex- torted under the guise of donations. The com- panies that are being probed by the CBI and the ED, this guy (Kirit Somaiya) extorts dona- tion from such compa- nies,” Raut told report- ers. These days, when- ever a big company is raided by the ED and the CBI for (financial) irregularities, then whosoever has been a beneficiary of it is probed and arrested, he claimed. “(Arrested NCP minister) Nawab Ma- lik’s case is the same. Others also have the same issue (of being arrested or probed for being an alleged bene- ficiary from the com- pany),” Raut said. He said that Metro Dairy in West Bengal was under the radar of Central agencies for al- leged irregularities in its disinvestment. “The ED and the CBI also raided the compa- ny . In 2019, Kirit Somai- ya received a few lakhs from this company. Such companies give lakhs and crores of ru- pees to Yuvak Pratish- than. There are nearly 172 such companies. This is the tip of the iceberg,” Raut added. Mumbai (PTI): A Shiv Sena delegation met Bandra police officials in Mumbai on Tuesday to seek a probe into how independent MP Navneet Rana was videographed while undergoing an MRI procedure at the Lila- vati Hospital. The delegation, com- prising Shiv Sena MLC Manisha Kayande, former mayor Kishori Pednekar and Rahul Kanal, a close aide of state Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray , also asked the police to investigate how Rana’s bodyguards were al- lowed to enter the pri- vate hospital with their weapons. The Sena, heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra, had al- leged there was a clear violation of rules by the hospital, as it sought to further corner Amra- vati Lok Sabha member Rana, who has been highly critical of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and his out- fit Shiv Sena. On Monday, the Mumbai police filed an application in a special court here seeking can- cellation of the bail granted to the parlia- mentarian and her MLA-husband Ravi Rana, accused in a sedi- tion case following a row over the recitation of Hanuman Chalisa. A delegation of the ruling Shiv Sena on Monday visited the Li- lavati Hospital and sought to know how Navneet Rana’s videos and pictures were taken while she was undergo- ing an MRI procedure at the private medical facility . On Tuesday, Sena MLC Kayande said, “We will also meet the state home minister and ask him to conduct a probe into the matter. We will also take up the matter with the Chari- ty Commissioner as private hospitals come under his jurisdic- tion.” Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut alleged the Somaiyas-controlled ‘Yuvak Pratishthan’ received suspicious donations from several companies Also asks the police to investigate how Navneet Rana’s bodyguards were allowed to enter the private hospital with their weapons Independent MP Navneet Rana being greeted by her husband and MLA Ravi Rana at Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai on Thursday. —FILE PHOTO Aaditya visits wastewater treatment plant at Nanded First India Bureau Nanded: Maharash- tra’s Tourism and En- vironment Minister Aaditya Thackeray visited decentralized wastewater treatment plant at Nanded on Tuesday. The plant was established under the aegis of Majhi Vasundhara Abhiyan, which was launched by Thackeray in 2020, to identify poten- tial action plans under five elements (panchmahabhuta) for the betterment of the environment for local bodies. Elaborating on the benefits of wastewa- ter management, the minister tweeted, “To- day ,Ivisitedthedecen- tralized wastewater treatment plant set up under Majhi Vasund- hara Abhiyan at Nanded. The project will solve the problem of wastewater man- agement in the city which is becoming more and more criti- cal. It will also be able to reuse the pure wa- ter generated by it.” Later, Thackeray also broke ground on a 100-bed sub-district hospital at Nanded. In a tweet, Thackeray said, “Today, with the efforts of MLA Balaji Kalyankar ji, the ground-breaking cer- emony of the 100-bed sub-district hospital to be set up at Nanded was held. The hospital willprovideaffordable healthcare to about 1.5 lakh citizens.” Aaditya Thackeray listens to an official at the wastewater treatment plant. Tourism Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray attends ground-breaking ceremony of 100-bed hospital at Nanded. BJP MP laid down condition to puncture Raj Thackeray’s ‘inflated ego’, says NCP AYODHYA VISIT Gonda (UP): Opposing Raj Thackeray’s proposed next month visit to Ayodhya, BJP Kaiserganj MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Tuesday held a roadshow here and said that it was his “personal protest” against the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief for “insulting North Indians”, and the saffron party has nothing to do with it. “I want to clarify that it is my personal protest (against Raj Thack- eray) and it has nothing to do with my party (BJP). I am firstly scion of Lord Ram, then North Indian and in the last MP of the BJP,” Singh told reporters. ‘PERSONAL PROTEST’ NOT BJP-RELATED: SINGH Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh Raj Thackeray Kirit Somaiya NOTICE SERVED FROM PG 1 The secretariat official also provided details of the back and forth that ensued between the IT department and the BMC’s legal counsel on strict condition of ano- nymity . The IT summons was issued for the purpose of investigating alleged corruption in the set- ting up of the nine jum- bo centres. It sought information on the ten- dering process, the number of tenders re- ceived, the procedure followed to award ten- ders, work orders is- sued, terms and condi- tions of tendering and dates of awards. Chahal’s legal coun- sel in his reply in- formed the IT depart- ment that while it had asked questions regard- ing the tendering as- pects of the jumbo cen- tres, “… all these ten- ders were issued in March 2020 under the Epidemic Act of 1897.” Chahal, himself, had taken up the BMC Chief’s post much later in May . The BMC Commis- sioner further stated (through his advocate) that his office enjoyed ‘carte blanche’ under the Epidemic Act which cannot be questioned by any authority as the Act was legislated by Parliament. The BMC Commissioner, citing the provisions of the Act, asked the IT de- partment to “kindly withdraw the summons issued in the regard” failing which, he “would approach the Bombay High Court” in the matter. Six weeks later, the IT department withdrew its summons. Meanwhile, the sta- tus of the ED investiga- tions is still unclear at the time of going to press. ‘Nothing personal’; summons issued to BMC
  • 3. MAHARASHTRA MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022 03 www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia READ crucial crucial MUMBRA MAN HELD FROM GUJ FOR STEPMOM’S MURDER Maharashtra Maharashtra TEENAGE BOY DROWNS IN MUMBAI LAKE AFTER FAILING TO GAUGE ITS DEPTH ‘NCOV CASES MAY RISE IN JUNE-JULY, SPEEDING UP VAX DRIVE BEST WAY’ NO COOKING GAS SUPPLY IN PARTS OF PUNE, EXPECTED TO RESUME BY LATE AFTERNOON FIRE IN ANAND NAGAR BUILDING, NO CASUALTY; OVER 70 RESIDENTS EVACUATED Mumbai: A 15-year-old boy drowned in the Vihar lake in Powai area here while swimming, police said on Tuesday. The boy, identified as Gautam Panchal, had gone for a swim at the lake with his friends on Monday afternoon. Prima facie, Panchal drowned as he failed to gauge the depth of the water in the lake, an official said. He was fished out of the water by local people and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead before admission. An Accidental Death Report (ADR) has been registered. Jalna: There was a likelihood of COVID-19 cases increasing in June and July, and speeding up the vaccination drive against the infection was the best way ahead, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said here on Monday. He said the precaution dose was being given to frontline and health workers and the state government had sought financial aid from the Centre to administer it to other segments as well. Queried about illegal abortion centres in Jalna, one of which was busted recently, Tope said he had directed the health department to take strict action against such outlets. Pune: Many areas in Pune, including Mohammadwadi, Undri, Kondhwa and Wanowrie, were left without piped gas supply from 10.30 pm on Monday. “The disruption was caused by a problem at a pumping station. Our technical team is working on it; supply is expected to resume by late afternoon,” an official of the Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited (MNGL) said. Area residents were upset as MNGL did not alert them about the disruption. “Even if there was some fault or disruption in the supply, the MNGL at least should have alerted consumers. We have been trying to reach customer care and tagging MNGL on Twitter but in vain,” Harshad Datar, a resident of Mohammawadi, said. Thane: A fire broke out in a duct of a 17-storey resi- dential building in Maharashtra’s Thane city on Tuesday morning. However, no casualty was reported as 70-75 residents were evacuated from the building located in Anand Nagar area, Thane Municipal Corporations’c re- gional disaster management cell (RDMC) chief Avinash Sawant said. The fire broke out around 8.20 am in an electric cable in the duct of floors 13 to 17, he said, add- ing that the RDMC and local firemen rushed to the spot and the blaze was doused. “The cause of the fire is not yet known,” he said. Thane: A 25-year-old resident of Mumbra in Thane dis- trict of Maharashtra was arrested from Gujarat where he had fled after allegedly killing his stepmother, police said on Tuesday. The accused, identified as Imran Kayyum Khan, had attacked Shanaz Banu Kayyum Khan (52) with a knife over a domestic dispute on May 3. The victim died in a hospital on May 5, a crime branch official said. He was nabbed from Dungri in the Aravalli district of Gujarat on a tip-off, the official added. We had our chance: Bumrah after loss against KKR Navi Mumbai (ANI): After facing a crushing defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders, Mum- bai Indians pacer Jas- prit Bumrah said the team will be looking forward to rectifying their mistakes and coming back stronger in the next season. Bumrah’s five-wicket haul was undone by clinical Kolkata Knight Riders as they defeated Mumbai Indians by 52 runs in their IPL 2022 match at Dr DY Patil Sports Academy here on Monday . “Always a good feel- ing to contribute but the important thing is for the team to win. We had our chance to do that but couldn’t get it done. That’s the way it is. I don’t keep track of figures or goals, my aim is to stick to the pro- cess,” said Jasprit Bum- rah in a post-match presentation. “Sometimes you bowl well but don’t get wick- ets. Can’t get desperate. Just want to contribute in whatever way I can. Well, it’s about rectify- ing our mistakes and doing better next sea- son,” he added. Batting first, Ven- katesh Iyer and Nitish Rana’s 43 each for Kol- kata and a quick un- beaten 23 by Rinku Sin- gh guided KKR to a re- spectable total of 165/9. For Mumbai, Bumrah bagged five wickets while Kumar Kartikeya picked up two wickets. On the other hand, Pat Cummins bagged three wickets in one over to derail MI’s hopes while Andre Rus- sell bagged two to guide KKR to a comfortable 52 runs win. This is Rohit Shar- ma-led MI’s ninth de- feat in the ongoing 15th edition of the IPL. HC refuses nod to teenage rape victim to abort 29-week foetus M u m b a i : The Bombay High Court has refused to grant permis- sion to a 1 6 - y e a r - o l d rape survivor to terminate her 29- week pregnancy, but directed the Maharash- tra government to ad- mit the girl to an NGO in Mumbai till her de- livery and pay her an interim compensation of Rs50,000. A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Madhav Jam- dar passed its order on May 06, a copy of which was made available on Tuesday, while hearing a petition filed by the girl through her father, seeking permission to terminate the pregnan- cy . The court refused permission as a team of doctors of the govern- ment-run JJ Hospital, who examined the girl, said that if the pregnan- cy is terminated at this stage, the baby would be born alive and would then face lifelong mor- bidities. This could be avoided if the baby is delivered near term, they had said. The court noted that since the girl's father is a daily wage earner and her mother died long back, there is no one to look after her in this critical situation. “We direct the state government to take steps to admit the peti- tioner in Vatsalya Trust, Kanjurmarg, till her delivery and for further necessary period. The authori- ties of the Vatsalya Trust shall provide all necessary facilities to the petitioner and to take steps to admit her to government/ civic hospital at the time of delivery,” the bench said. The court also direct- ed the Maharashtra government to place all requisite documents be- fore the District Legal Services Authority for payment of compensa- tion to the petitioner under the Manodhairya Scheme (provides fi- nancial compensation to victims of sexual of- fences). MAN BOOKED FOR RAPING TWO 13-YEAR-OLDS First India Bureau Palghar: Police have registered a case against a man for allegedly rap- ing two teenage girls here in Maha- rashtra under the pretext of getting them roles in films, an official said on Tuesday . Over the past year, the accused al- legedly took the girls, both aged 13, to a forest in Vasai area where he repeatedly raped them and also in- dulged in unnatural sex with them, the official from the Mira Bhay- ander-Vasai Virar police control room said. The man also demanded Rs70,000 from the girls while threatening to post pictures of them in compromis- ing positions on social media. The girls’ parents lodged a com- plaint, following which the Nallaso- para police on Monday registered an FIR against the man under Indi- an Penal Code Sections 376, (rape), 377 (unnatural sex), 384 (extortion) and 506 (criminal intimidation), and provisions of the Protection of Chil- dren from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the official said. No arrest has been made so far, he said. Thane: A police consta- ble has been arrested for allegedly raping a woman under the pretext of helping her to solve her problems, an official said on Tuesday. The constable who was posted at the Navghar police station befriend- ed the 27-year-old woman when she went there some time ago to lodge a complaint. He then called her to different places while promising to resolve her woes, and allegedly raped her on various occasions, the official from Navghar police station said. The wom- an later lodged a police complaint, based on which the accused was arrested, he added. CONSTABLE ARRESTED FOR RAPING WOMAN Manghar set to be first ‘honey village’ in the country First India Bureau Mumbai: Khadi and Village Industries Board of the Maha- rashtra Government has come up with an innovative concept of Madhache Gaon (Honey village). For this, Manghar vil- lage near, Ma- habaleshwar, has been selected. Madhache Gaon will be a project to protect and conserve nature as well as cre- ate permanent em- ployment for the peo- ple living in the hilly and forested areas. Manghar is sur- rounded by dense for- est and it has year round flowering. Col- lective bee keeping is routine of the village life. Eighty percent of the population of the village is engaged in bee keeping business. Special efforts will be made to increase the number of bees in the village under the initiative. On this oc- casion, tourists and consumers coming to Mahabaleshwar will get pure and quality honey . Bees are seen as an important com- ponent of nature’s food chain. Crop pro- duction is also on the rise due to bees. Bee pollination has been foundtoincreasecrop productivity as well. This is the first pro- jectinthecountryand will be implemented in other districts. Mumbai Indians are currently at 10th place on the leaderboard for ongoing season Bumrah’s five-wicket haul was undone by clinical Kolkata Knight Riders as they defeated Mumbai Indians by 52 runs in their IPL 2022 match at on Monday. Pat Cummins bagged three wickets in one over while Andre Russell bagged two to guide KKR to a comfortable 52 runs win. Always a good feeling to contribute but the important thing is for the team to win. We had our chance to do that but couldn’t get it done. That’s the way it is. I don’t keep track of fig- ures or goals, my aim is to stick to the process. —Jasprit Bumrah FALLING SHORT CELEBRATING NURSES Nurses of Masina Hospital in Mumbai pose for photos during a music therapy session organised by Furtados School of Music on Tuesday, ahead of International Nurses Day on May 12. —PHOTO BY PTI Court asks Maha govt to pay her ` 50,000 interim compensation 40-acre land allotted to Thane rural police HQ Thane: The Maharash- tra revenue depart- ment has allotted 40 acres of land in Vash- ere and Sape villages of Bhiwandi town to set up the Thane district rural police headquar- ters, a release issued by the office of district Guardian Minister Eknath Shinde said. The rural police headquarters had re- mained in Thane city when Palghar district was carved out of Thane eight years ago. Currently, the Thane rural police have 11 po- lice stations and three sub-divisions--Murbad, Ganeshpuri and Sa- hapur--under their ju- risidiction, covering parts of Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Murbad and Sahapur talukas. Jasprit Bumrah
  • 4. PERSPECTIVE MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022 04 www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia l Vol 1 l Issue No. 5 l RNI TITLE NO. MAHENG/2022/14652 Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Dangat Media Pvt Ltd, No.22, Dighe MIDC, Vishnu Nagar,  TTC Industrial Area, Dighe, Navi Mumbai-400701. Published at Plot No. 3 Scheme C of Manglorean Garden Home, CHS Limited, Survey No. 5, 6C (Part) Ville Parle East, Mumbai 400057. Editor-In-Chief: Jagdeesh Chandra Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act SPIRITUAL SPEAK I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength. —Bible IN-DEPTH Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp Today marks a significant day in the modern history of our country. Turn of events back this day in 1857 re- ignited nationalist admiration led to a conscious beginning of our freedom struggle. Tribute to all those whose efforts culminated in India’s independence. Dr Jitendra Singh @DrJitendraSingh The unspoken truth is that the artificial barriers created by #Article370 resulted in exploitation of precisely the same Kashmiri masses of the Valley who were given to believe that they enjoyed some sort of a special status which actually they did not. TOP TWEETS RPG ATTACK ON INTELLIGENCE HQ PUTS LENS ON AAP GOVERNMENT lose on the heels of the Khalistan flag be- ing hoisted on the gate of Himachal Pradesh Assembly comes a rocket-propelled gre- nade (RPG) attack at the Punjab police headquarters. The dam- age was minor but the impact of the attack is being taken by in- telligence agencies seriously . Is there a Pakistani hand or that of Afghanistan where RPGs are used more? That is for the intel- ligence sleuths to figure out but what is of great concern is the occurrence of minor-looking in- cidents aimed, perhaps, to test the security apparatus in the border state. The hoisting of flag at the As- sembly building’s gate and the painting of its walls with pro- Khalistan slogans happened even after an intelligence input was shared with the state. These are ominous signs for the newly formed Aam Aadmi PartygovernmentinPunjab.The party’sdetractorswillbequickto recall Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s stay in the house of Gurwinder Singh, an activist of Khalistan Liberation Front, ahead of Punjab polls. C n a surprise move the Central gov- ernment told the Supreme Court of India that it was ready to re-examine the Brit- ish-era law on sedition as de- fined under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code. The change in stand came a cou- ple of days after the govern- ment defended the law. Interestingly , the UK gov- ernment itself repealed the law way back in 2009. It, how- ever, continues to be misused by the Central and various state governments of its for- mer colony . The law has been used to crack down on those criticising the government, whichisviewedas“spreading disaffection”, a criminal of- fenceunderthedraconianlaw. Duringtheongoinghearingof the sedition case by a bench headed by Chief Justice of In- dia NV Ramana, the Centre saidonMondaythatthePrime Minister wants a comprehen- sive review of the law to pre- vent its misuse and requested the court to leave the matter foran“appropriateplatform”. But the Centre did not give a schedule for the review. The court has asked the Centre to revert with a time- line. The petitioners have, on theotherhand,contendedthat Section 124 A be stayed if the court decides to refer the mat- ter to a larger bench and “that any pending proceedings”, be stayedasaninterimmeasure”. A former Supreme Court judge, Justice Madan B. Lokur, once said at an event that authorities have found various ways of “weaponis- ing” the sedition laws. Justice Lokur said, “One of the worst forms of curtailment of free- dom of speech is charging a person with sedition.” SEDITION CASE HEARING REMAINS IN FOCUS During the ongoing hearing of the sedition case by a bench headed by CJI NV Ramana, the Centre said on Monday that the PM wants a comprehensive review of the law to prevent its misuse and requested the court to leave the matter for an “appropriate platform”. But the Centre did not give a schedule for the review. I AAP MUST LEARN THE ROPES OF REGIONAL POLITICS FAST PATIALA CLASH he recent Patiala clash was the first major law and order challenge for the AAP gov- ernment in Punjab. The clash was a clear writing on the wall with Sikh for Justice’s (SFJ’s) Gurpatwant Singh Pannu’s call to observe Khal- istan Day on April 29 and the Sena members announcing to take out an anti-Khalistan March on the same day! Barjinder Singh Parwana, one of the masterminds of the clash, who was arrested, had earlier said on social me- dia that he would not allow anyone to hold such an event. To cover up its lapses, the AAP, however, said it was not a communal clash but a clash between Opposition political parties and arrests were made from both sides. However, the first question that comes to mind is why did the administration, in the first place, allow such a vola- tile situation to erupt? There hadbeenconflictingstandsof Parwana and Sena members in the past over the issues of Khalistan as well as the Army action on the Golden Temple. Meanwhile, all Opposition parties–Congress,Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), BJP – joined the bandwagon and in their blisteringattacktargetedAAP for the “failing law and order inthestate.”TheAAPgovern- mentalsofacedflakfromSikh outfits for failing to prevent the ‘Khalistan Murdabad’ ral- ly called by Shiv Sena leader Harish Singla. Meanwhile, it is pertinent to note that while the Delhi model for better power, health and education facili- ties, is fine, the AAP govern- ment would do better to weigh the realities of Hindu and Panthic groups and farmers/labour unions. It may be noted that this is not the first time that a clash/ friction took place between the Parwana and Shiv Sena in the state. In June 2021, the Shiv Sena (Punjab) had alleg- edly put up posters calling the anniversary of Operation Bluestar as “terrorism khaat- ma divas (end of terrorism day).” However, since the op- eration involved military ac- tion on the holiest site of Sikhs, it is an occasion of mourning for the community . The Sena announcement was enough to trigger a coun- teraction. Soon after, a video went viral in which Parwana was seen tearing posters of ‘Terrorism Khaatma Divas.” Armed with such experience andoutcome,whenSenalead- er Singla announced that April 29 would be observed as Khalistan Murdabad Divas, does it leave any doubt in any- one’s mind that another round of bristles was evident. Shouldn’t the AAP govern- ment which had come to pow- er by securing a massive mandate from all sections be more sensitive and isn’t it evident that the government may have erred in letting Sin- gla hold such an event, espe- cially near a religious place (the Kali Mata Mandir in Pa- tiala) and it may be noted that the Gurdwara Dukh Ni- varan Sahib is only 1 to 2 km from the spot. Whatwasthenewlyformed AAP government doing in the meantime. It is not that that rally was something that hap- penedsuddenlyandtheorgan- isers amassed so many people overnight. The masses were well aware of this and to top it all, several people, including Parwanahimself,hadrequest- ed the police to prevent the Khalistan Murdabad protest. Yet, the protest took place and it triggered a counter. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL T The Sena announcement was enough to trigger a counteraction. Soon after, a video went viral in which Parwana was seen tearing posters of ‘Terrorism Khaatma Divas.” Armed with such experience and outcome, when Sena leader Singla announced that April 29 would be observed as Khalistan Murdabad Divas, does it leave any doubt in anyone’s mind that another round of bristles was evident ROBIN ROY The writer is Senior Associate Editor, Free Press Journal, Mumbai and former Managing Editor, First India WHAT DOES THE CLASH MEAN FOR AAP IN GENERAL z AAP must quickly come out of its simple point mantra of Delhi model to win over voters z It must learn and learn fast about the religio-socio template of the country as it has shown its eagerness to make foray into other states z It now needs to understand the caste-based politics, the intricacies of regional satraps and the minute de- tailing… like the Lingayats and Brahmins in Karnataka, the Gurjars, Thakurs and Dalits in the heartland z Delhi politics is cosmopolitan politics. Simply harping on the basic needs may be a good thing but given the template of Indian regional politics, AAP has to master the art of survival fast if it plans to have a long-term political ambition z Key to ruling in various states is the art of balanc- ing acts between social forces and understanding the ground realities and to be able to control possible flare-ups Barjinder Singh Parwana, one of the masterminds of the clash, who was arrested, had earlier said on social media that he would not allow anyone to hold such an event. To cover up its lapses, the AAP, however, said it was not a communal clash but a clash between Opposition political parties and arrests were made from both sides. WAS IT A CLEAR CASE OF THE AAP GOVERNMENT BEING CAUGHT NAPPING? WAS IT SCARED OF BEING BRANDED AS ANTI-HINDU OR PRO-KHALISTAN IN CASE IT TOOK “ANY” ACTION? IN BOTH THE SCENARIOS, AAP DOESN’T STAND TO GAIN GROUND, IN FACT, IT HAS LOST QUITE A BIT
  • 5. To Receive Free Newspaper PDF Daily Whatsapp: Telegram: Click the above link☝ subscribe us on your preferred platform. https://bit.ly/fiwhatsappmumbai https://t.me/thefirstindiamumbai
  • 6. MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022 05 INDIA www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia Day is not far when AFSPA will be revoked in Assam: HM Shah Guwahati (Agencies): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that with the im- proved law and order situation, the day is not far when AFSPA will be revoked in Assam. The Home Minister had on March 31 an- nounced to reduce the disturbed areas under the Armed Forces (Spe- cial Power) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) in three north- eastern states — Assam, Nagaland and Manipur. The AFSPA is in force in Assam since 1990 and as per the Centre’s an- nouncement, it was re- moved completely from 23 districts and it would remain enforced in 9 districts and one sub- division in Assam with effect from April 1. After presenting the President’s Colour to the Assam Police at a ceremony here, the Home Minister said that due to the constant ef- forts of the Centre and Chief MinisterHimanta Biswa Sarma, almost all the extremist outfits have entered into peace agreements and surren- dered before the govern- ment. He said that the surrendered militants are being jointly reha- bilitated by the central and state governments. Highlightingtheglori- ous history and achieve- ments of Assam police, Shah said that besides militancy , the Assam po- lice during the past sev- eraldecadeshassuccess- fullytackledinfiltration, border issues, drug ped- dling, smuggling of arms, cattle and other contraband,poachingof rhinos, human traffick- ing and several other so- cial issues. He said, “During the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971 and commu- nal riots, the Assam po- lice performed brilliant- ly and courageously .” Shah said that when In- dia got Independence, there were 8,000 Assam policemenandnowtheir strength has increased to70,000.Duringthepast seven decades, 886 As- sam policemen were martyred.“ Assampolice also very tactfully dealt withtheinter-stateprob- lems,” Shah added. Addressing the gath- ering,AssamChief Min- ister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged the police to work for the weaker sections of the society and appreciated their ef- forts in the decline of militant activities in the state. “Hundreds of cad- res of the eight militant groups have joined the mainstream and anoth- er 13 outfits are in dia- logue with the govern- ment,” Sarma said. l Shah lauds Assam CM for making peace with militants l ‘Assam police performed courageously during 1971 war’ Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses the programme for the presentation of the President’s Colours to the Assam Police, at Nehru Stadium in Guwahati. —PHOTO BY PTI HOME MIN PRESENTS PREZ’S COLOUR TO ASSAM POLICE Guwahati: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday pre- sented the President’s Colour to Assam Police for its exemplary service in the past decades. President’s Colour is the highest honour given to any military or police unit in recognition of its exceptional service to the na- tion, during both peace and war. Assam is the 10th state in the country to receive this honour. Hindu bodies continue protest on day 2 Bengaluru (Agen- cies): The agitation of the Hindu organisa- tions entered the second day on Tuesday despite Chief Minister Basa- varaj Bommai’s assur- ance to frame guide- lines on the use of loud- speakers in the state. The activists contin- ued to play devotional prayers in temples against ‘azaan’. Founder of Sri Ram Sena Pramod Muthalik is holding a 2-day meet- ing of the Hindu organi- sations from May 11 in a private hotel in Bengal- uru. As per the sources, more than 20 Hindu or- ganisations are taking part in the meeting. They will discuss the legalactionontheuseof loudspeakersinmosques as well as the future course of action. Mutha- lik has warned that the agitation will be intensi- fied in the coming days. Chief Minister Bom- mai had stated that the ruling BJP government would issue an official order soon to implement the Supreme Court guidelines on the use of loudspeakers.Healsoas- sured that he would talk to the officials in this re- gard and take a call. “The Supreme Court, Central government and the state government have ordered the use of loudspeakers. The gov- ernment has decided to follow these orders. He alsostatedthattheguide- lines would be imple- mented in a most cordial manner,” Bommai said. KARNATAKA LOUDSPEAKER ROW Bypolls for 7 K’taka Legislative Council seats on June 3 Bengaluru (Agencies): The Karnataka State ElectionCommissionon Tuesdayannouncedthat voting for seven seats of the state’s Legislative Council will take place on June 3. A notification will be issued in this re- gard on May 17 and the last date for submission of applications is May 24, the poll body said. BJP MLCs Lakshman Sangappa Savadi and Lehar Singh; Cong MLCsRamappaTimma- pur, Veena Achaiah and Allam Veerabhadrappa; JD(S) MLCs H.M. Ramesh Gowda and KV Narayanaswamy;arere- tiring on June 14. The elections will he held be- tween 9 am to 4 pm, and the process of counting of voteswillalsobecom- pleted on the same day . BJP worker’s autopsy report in Calcutta HC indicates suicide Kolkata (Agencies): The autopsy report of the 27-year-old Bharati- ya Janata Party (BJP) worker, who was found dead in Kolkata on May 6, was submitted to the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday and indicates he died by suicide. Union home minister Amit Shah, who was in Bengal when the death was reported, met Arjun Chaurasia’s family and blamedtherulingTrina- mool Congress (TMC) for the “political mur- der”. He sought a Cen- tral Bureau of Investiga- tionprobeintothedeath. BJP leader and lawyer Priyanka Tibrewal, rep- resenting Chaurasia’s family which has alleged the BJP worker was mur- dered, said the post-mor- temreporthascitedhang- ing as the cause of death. “While this indicates sui- cide, we want to wait for theviscerareporttoseeif Chaurasia was drugged. He could have been hangedbysomeonewhile he was unconscious.” TibrewalsaidChaura- sia would have needed a chairorsomethingsimi- lar to tie the rope to the ceiling. “Nothing was found at the spot.” Hurriyat leader charged for selling Pak MBBS seats in JK Srinagar (Agencies): A special court in Srinagar onMondayframedcharg- es against eight persons, including a prominent Hurriyat leader, for sell- ingPakistaniMBBSseats in Jammu and Kashmir to fund terror activities. Special judge NIA court, Srinagar, Manjeet Singh Manhas, framed the charges against Hur- riyat leader and chair- man Salvation Move- mentMohammadAkbar Bhat alias ‘Zaffar Akbar Bhat’ and seven other residents of Kashmir for committing offences un- der various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The case was regis- teredagainstthe“unscru- pulous persons” by the State Investigation Agen- cy (SIA) on July 27, 2020. They were hand in glove with some educational consultancies for arrang- ing admission of Jammu andKashmirresidentsin MBBS and other profes- sional courses in various colleges, institutions and universities in Pakistan, officials said. Besides Akbar Bhat, others accused in the caseareFatimaShah,Al- taf Ahmad Bhat (at pre- sent in Pakistan), Qazi Yasir (absconding), Mo- hammadAbdullahShah, Sabzar Ahmad Sheikh, Manzoor Ahmad Shah (at present in Pakistan) and Mohammad Iqbal Mir,whowasreleasedon bail because he was suf- fering from a terminal disease, they said. Anotherhatespeech caseagainstPCGeorge Kochi (Agencies): The Palarivattom Police in Kochi have on Tuesday registered a suo motu case against ex-MLA P.C. George on the charge of delivering a hate speech on commu- nal lines at a temple in Vennala in the city . He has been charged under Sections 153 A (promoting enmity be- tween groups on the ba- sis of religion) and 295 (injuring or defiling a place of worship with the intent to insult the religion of any class of people). George was arrested earlier this month from his residence in Erattu- petta in Kottayam and then granted bail. The police had booked him then on the charge of makingincendiarycom- ments against a particu- lar group of people with the intention to cause communal discord and provoke rioting. PC George JD(U) leader writes to Nitish for safety from Naxal group Patna (Agencies): A JD(U) leader in Bihar has requested Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to save the lives of his family members in- cluding him from a Naxal group active in Darbhanga region. Awadesh Lal Dev, who is a general secre- tary of the JD(U) most backward cell of Bi- har, claimed that his wife has links with a Naxal commander Manoj Laldev who is threatening to kill his entire family. Awadesh is a native of Meghna village un- der Bahadurpur police station in Darbhanga district. “My wife is working under the influence of Naxal commander Manoj Laldev. On April 23, Manoj along with 50 to 60 Naxals arrived at my house and threat- ened us with dire con- sequences. I had con- tacted the local police but they did not take any action. I also went to the DGP’s office but he refused to meet me by giving an excuse of corona,” Awadesh said. “My marriage took place in 2006. Initially I did not know the link of my wife with Manoj. However, I soon real- ised that she had a definite link with him. In 2012, the matter reached Bahadurpur police station and I agreed on the compro- mise due to the pres- sure of local police personnel,” he said. Awadesh left the vil- lage in fear of his wife and Manoj Laldev, and is currently living in Patna with his two mi- nor daughters. He went to the chief minister’s residence in Patna where security person- nel did not allow him to go inside. As there were a number of me- dia persons present there, he shared his plight with them. Nitish Kumar Ex-BJP MLA threatens a replay of Babri on Gyanvapi Lucknow: Former BJP MLA Sangeet Som has made an objectionable remark on the Gyanva- pi mosque controversy . He allegedly said at a function to mark the an- niversary of Maharana Pratap that people should remember 1992 — the year when the Babri mosque was de- molished. “That was 1992 and thisis2022.Thestrength of the youth has dou- bled now and time has come to take another decision,” he said. Som also wrote on his Facebook page that “Au- rangzeb made the Gyan- vapi mosque. In 1992, it was Babri and now in 2022 it is the turn of Gyanvapi. It is time to take back the temple which was demolished to make a mosque.” Congress spokesman Surendra Rajput said: “This is exactly the gameplan of the BJP, to create unrest and divi- sions in society. We hope that the BJP real- ises the damage it is do- ing to the social fabric with such statements. The Gyanvapi issue has bene raised and so has the Taj Mahal issue. We are heading for danger- ous times.” Sangeet Som Rahul in Gujarat, fires ‘two Indias’ salvo at PM Dahod (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of creating two Indias, one for the rich and another for the poor, and claimed that the resources of the country are being given to a few wealthy people. Launching his party’s campaign for this year’s Gujarat Assembly elec- tions at an “adivasi saty- agrah rally’ in tribal Dahod district, Gandhi said he is confident that Congress will come to power in the State. “In 2014, Narendra Modi ji became the PrimeMinisterof India. Before that he was the Chief Minister of Guja- rat. The work he started inGujarat,heisdoingin the country . It is called the Gujarat Model,” Ra- hul Gandhi said. “Today , two Indias are being created, one India of the rich, a few select people, billionaires and bureaucrats who have power and money . The second India is of the commonpeople,”hesaid. Congress party does not want two Indias, he said. “In the BJP model, re- sourcesof peoplelikewa- ter, forest and land which belong to tribals and oth- er poor people, are being given to a few,” he said. The Congress leader also said that the BJP- led government in the state had deprived trib- als of their rights. Rahul Gandhi
  • 7. MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022 06 INDIA www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia New Delhi: Nine pilots and 32 cabin crew mem- bers failed their pre- flight alcohol tests be- tween January 1 and April 30, India’s avia- tion regulator DGCA said on Tuesday . “Of them, two pilots and two cabin-crew members have been suspended for a period of three years for being positive for the second time,” the Directorate General of Civil Avia- tion (DGCA) said in a statement. The remaining seven pilots and 30 cabin crew members were suspend- ed for three months as they tested BA (breatha- lyser) positive for the first time, it added. The DGCA had stated last month that airlines must ensure that 50 per cent of their cockpit and cabin crew mem- bers are subjected to pre-flight alcohol tests on a daily basis. ‘9 pilots, 32 cabin crew failed pre-flight alcohol tests between Jan 1 Apr 30’ New Delhi (Agencies): The Enforcement Direc- torate has seized three cars belonging to IAS officer Pooja Singhal’s Chartered Accountant (CA) Suman Kumar in connection with the prevention of money laundering case per- taining to the MGNRE- GA funds scam of around Rs 18 crore. On Tuesday, Singhal appeared before the ED’s team in Ranchi. Her questioning is still going on. She is being asked about the recov- ery of the huge cash and her possible involve- ment in the matter. PMLA case: ED seizes 3 cars of IAS Pooja Singhal’s CA Punjab HC says no coercive action against Bagga till July 6 Chandigarh: The Pun- jab and Haryana High Court Tuesday ruled that BJP leader Ta- jinder Pal Singh Bagga, who is facing charges in a case for allegedly mak- ing provocative state- ments on social media promoting religious en- mity and criminal in- timidation, cannot be arrested till July 6, the next date of hearing. The matter came up for hearing before the bench of Justice Anoop Chitkara and went on for nearly 45 minutes. The bench was hearing Bagga’s plea for quash- ing the FIR registered against him by Punjab Police in Mohali for al- legedly making inflam- matory statements against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejri- wal as well as his peti- tion against the arrest warrants issued by a Mohali court. Mohali (Agencies): Sikh for Justice (SFJ), thepro-Khalistangroup, has taken the responsi- bility for the Rocket Pro- pelled Grenade (RPG) attack at Punjab Intelli- gence HQs in Mohali on Monday night. In a suspected voice message sent to Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, SFJ general counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannu claimed the responsibility. In the voice message, Pan- nu also claimed the re- sponsibility of raising Khalistani flags at the Dharamshala assem- bly complex. Pannu further asked CM Thakur to raise the referendum 20-20 on June 6, 2022, on the day of voting in Himachal, or face consequences. He said that Himachal must take lessons from grenade attack in Mo- haliasitcouldhavebeen Shimla HQs as well. The voice message transcripts, “Lesson for Himachal chief minis- ter — learn from gre- nade attack at Mohali police headquarters — we raised flag at Dhar- amshala HQ, do not pro- voke the Sikh commu- nity . SFJ is going to an- nounce Khalistan refer- endum 20-20 on June 6 in Himachal on day of voting. Do not provoke Sikh community and start violence because violence begets vio- lence, CM Thakur. Mes- sageisfromGurpatwant Singh Pannu SFJ Gen- eral Counsel.” Pro-Khalistan outfit Sikh for Justice claims Punjab attack Mohali attack could have been on Shimla Police: Group warns Himachal CM Thakur Pannu has been named as the ‘main accused’ in the matter. Srinagar (Agencies): Lt. Gen. Amardeep Sin- gh Aujla, who assumed command of the strate- gic Kashmir-based 15 Chinar Corps on May 10, has expressed opti- mism that the ceasefire agreement between In- dia and Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) “will further en- able improvement of the overall security situation”, an Army spokesperson said. After assuming of- fice in Srinagar’s Bada- mibagh Cantonment, Lt. Gen. Aujla ex- pressed satisfaction with the improved se- curity parameters in the Kashmir valley, the spokesperson said. The Army officer, with an illustrious mili- tary career spanning 35 years, has said he will work closely with the civil administration and society to further the cause of peace and prosperity in Kashmir. “[With] the support of all community mem- bers, Kashmir will move one step closer to its glorious past while leaping forward in the development barome- ters,” Lt. Gen. Aujla, who paid homage at the Chinar Corps Memorial atBadamiBaghCanton- ment in Srinagar, said. Ceasefire will improve security in Jammu Kashmir: Lt Gen Aujla New Delhi (Agencies): The Central intelligence agencies have swung into action after the attack on Punjab Police’s intelligence headquarters in Mohali and are collecting more information on this. The Intelligence Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), The National Investigation Agency (NIA), Military Intelligence, National Technical Research Organisation and the Intelligence Wing of the BSF have also been gathering information in this case. Sources in the Intel network said that the Central Intel wings consider it as an act of terror and the responsible group has tried to convey a message by attacking the police building, this could be a handiwork of the Pakistan supported Khal- istani elements hiding in the neighbouring country. The Intel sources also said that the arrested four Khalistani terrorists from Haryana’s Karnal on May 5 had admitted that the weapons and explosives were transported from Pakistan through drones. INTEL AGENCIES ON HIGH ALERT, GATHERING MORE EVIDENCE INFO Terrorists deliberately fire at civilians to escape: Army Srinagar (Agencies): The Indian Army said on Tuesday that the ter- rorists deliberately tar- get the civilians during encounters to manage their escape. Defence ministry, spokesman said in a statement, “Based on an input of likely pres- ence of terrorists in general area of Pan- doshan, located ap- proximately 4 kms southeast of Chaud- hary Gund, Shopian, a joint cordon search operation was launched by Indian Army JK police at about 7.50 p.m. on May 9, 2022. “At around 8.30 p.m. while own teams were establishing a cordon around the target house, the terrorists started firing indis- criminately in all direc- tions in an attempt to breach the cordon, thereby putting the lives of civilians at a great risk. Sensing grave threat to the lives of the civilians, own teams commenced civil- ian extrication from the operation site despite being heavily fired upon by the terrorists,” the statement said. Security Forces have intensified search operations. CIVILIAN SUCCUMBS TO INJURIES Srinagar (PTI): One civilian, who was injured, during a gunfight between the security forces and the terror- ists in the Pandoshan village of Jamp;K's Shopian district, succumbed in the hospital, police sources said on Tuesday. Another civilian and a soldier, who were also injured, were said to be stable. The encoun- ter broke out on Monday. One of the injured civilians identified as Shahid Gani Dar succumbed in the hospital while the other injured civilian is stable. Bhubaneswar (Agen- cies): The India Meteor- ological Department (IMD) on Tuesday said severe cyclonic storm Asani has started weak- ening and will convert into a cyclonic storm in next 24 hours. The severe cyclonic storm Asani over west- central and adjoining southwest Bay of Ben- gal moved west-north- westwards with a speed of 10 kmph during past six hours and lay cen- tered over west-central Bay of Bengal near about 260 km southeast of Kakinada (Andhra), 300 km south of Vi- sakhapatnam, 490 km south-southwest of Go- palpur (Odisha) and 570 km south-south- west of Puri, said di- rector of Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre on Tuesday. Gale wind speed reaching 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph is prevailing around the system center over west- central Bay of Bengal. Coastal, South Odisha to receive heavy rains ‘ASANI’ STARTS WEAKENING CHENNAI: 10 FLIGHTS CANCELLED New Delhi: With severe cyclonic storm 'Asani' nearing the Andhra Pradesh coast, heavy rains lashed Chennai and its suburbs on Tuesday. Asani is expected to touch the shores on Wednesday. Ten flights from the Chennai airport were cancelled, including from Jaipur, Visakhapa- tnam, Mumbai, and Hyderabad, due to the heavy downpour. New Delhi (Agen- cies): Slain photojour- nalist Danish Siddiqui is among four Indians honoured with the prestigious Pulitzer Prize 2022 in the fea- ture photography cat- egory. Siddiqui and his col- leagues Adnan Abidi, Sanna Irshad Mattoo and Amit Dave from the Reuters news agen- cy won the award, an- nounced on Monday, for “images of Covid’s toll in India that bal- anced intimacy and devastation, while of- fering viewers a height- ened sense of place”, according to The Pu- litzer Prizes website. Their work was moved from the breaking news photog- raphy category by the judges. Siddiqui, 38, was killed in July last while covering clashes be- tween Afghan troops and the Taliban in Spin Boldak district of Kan- dahar city . This is for the second time that Siddiqui has won the Pulitzer Prize. He was honoured with the prestigious award in 2018 as part of the Reuters team for their coverage of the Roh- ingya crisis. He had extensively covered the Afghanistan conflict, the Hong Kong protests and other major events in Asia, Middle East, and Europe. Siddiqui graduated with a de- gree in Economics from Jamia Millia Isla- mia, Delhi. He had a degree in Mass Com- munication from the AJK Mass Communi- cation Research Centre at Jamia in 2007. He started his career as a television news cor- respondent, switched to photojournalism, and joined Reuters as an in- tern in 2010. Marcus Yam of the Los Angeles Times bagged the award in the Breaking News photography category “for raw and urgent images of the US de- parture from Afghan- istan that capture the human cost of the historic change in the country”. Yam’s work was moved from Feature Photography by the jury. SlainphotojournalistDanishSiddiquiamong4Indianshonoured PULITZER PRIZE Reuters photographers Adnan Abidi, Sanna Irshad Mattoo, Amit Dave and Danish Siddiqui. Amravati (Agencies): Former Andhra Pradesh Minister P Narayana was arrested on Tuesday in connec- tion with class 10 ques- tion paper leak case. A police party from Chittoor district arrest- ed Narayana from his residence at Kondapur in Hyderabad. He was being shifted to Chit- toor where a case was registered against him. Narayana, a leader of opposition TDP, is the chairman of Narayana Group of institutions. Andhra police had ar- rested headmasters and teachers of few schools including a school run by Narayana group in connection with the pa- per leak last week. Paper leak:Ex-Andhra Min held BIHAR COLLEGE PRINCIPAL, LECTURERS AMONG 4 ARRESTED FOR BPSC PAPER LEAK: TOP COP Patna: A college principal and two lecturers who were expected to conduct the Bihar Public Service Commission examination at Ara district’s Veer Kunwar Singh College have been arrested in connection with the paper leak of the BPSC 67th Prelims Exam conducted and cancelled on Sun- day. The BDO who was assigned as a magistrate to oversee the examinations in the area, has also been arrested. New Delhi (Agencies): Prime Minister Naren- dra Modi on Tuesday extended his greetings and good wishes to Yoon Suk-yeol who took charge as the new South Korean President. In a tweet, Modi said: “I extend my heartfelt greetings and good wishes to ROK Presi- dent @sukyeol__yoon as he commences his term in office today. I look forward to meeting him soon and working together to further strengthen and enrich the India-ROK ties.” Yoon, a former pros- ecutor, took the oath of office as the 13th Presi- dent of South Koreaand vowed to rebuild the na- tion on the foundation of a liberal democracy and market economy . PM extends greetings to new S Korean Prez Yoon Suk-yeol New Delhi (Agencies): Over a dozen United Hindu Front (UHF) ac- tivists who were chant- ing Hanuman Chalisa at the Qutab Minar were detained by the Delhi Police in the national capital on Tuesday . Amidst the ongoing loudspeaker row, the Hindu Organisation — United Hindu Front — had announced to recite Hanuman Chalisa on the premises of the min- aret today along with other Hindu groups. In view of the an- nouncement, a large number of Delhi police and CAPF personnel were deployed outside the historic monument since morning. Jaibhagwan Goyal, working president of UHF, had given a call for the protest. Talking to a news agency ,Goyalsaidhehas been under house arrest since morning at his Shahdhara residence. “ At least 10-15 police per- sonnel are outside my house. They are not al- lowing me to leave,”the UHF chief said. Policedetainright-winggroupactivists I have been placed under house arrest, claims United Hindu Front chief HANUMAN CHALISA AT QUTAB MINAR
  • 8. BIZ BUZZ MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022 07 www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia New Delhi (PTI): The government on Tues- day said the country’s coal output rose 29% to 66.58 million tonnes (MT) in April. This comes at a time when the country is witnessing a power cri- sis on account of vari- ous factors, including shortages of the dry fuel. The country’s coal output in April 2021 stood at 51.62 MT, as per provisional statistics of the Ministry of Coal. The ministry in a statement said dis- patch of coal to power utilities grew 18.15% to 61.81 MT during April 2022, compared to 52.32 MT in April 2020. Of the top 37 coal producing mines, 22 have performed more than 100% while the production from an- other 10 mines stood between 80 and 100%. The ministry further said decline in the pric- es of imported coal has been observed since the end of October last year. However, interna- tional prices are still at a high level. The ministry had earlier said the current power crisis is mainly on account of sharp de- cline in electricity gen- eration from different fuel sources and not due to non-availability of domestic coal. In an interview to PTI, Coal Secretary A K Jain had attributed the low coal stocks at power plants to several factors such as height- ened power demand due to the boom in the economy post pandem- ic, early arrival of sum- mer, rise in price of gas and imported coal and sharp fall in electricity generation by coastal thermal power plants. He had added that a slew of measures are already underway to enhance total power supply in the country . The gas-based power generation, which has fallen drastically in the country , aggravated the crisis. The coastal thermal power plants are now generating around half of their capacity be- cause of the sharp rise in the prices of import- ed coal. This has result- ed in a gap between the demand and supply of electricity . The secretary had said states located in the South and West have been dependent on imported coal. And when domestic coal is dispatched through wagons/ rakes to the plants in these states to make up for the loss in imported coal genera- tion, the turnaround time of rakes is more than 10 days, which cre- ates rake availability issues for other plants. Since last year, the railways has loaded more coal than ever, even by curtailing rake supply to other sectors to meet the enhanced demand of the power sector. There was good loading of rakes in March. INDIA’S COAL OUTPUT UP 29% IN APRIL COAL TO POWER UTILITIES GREW 18.15% TO 61.81 MT DURING APRIL 2022, COMPARED TO 52.32 MT IN APRIL 2020 KEY FACTORS Coal-based power generation rises 9% in April New Delhi (PTI): Coal-based power generation regis- tered 9.26%rise at 1,02,529 million units (MU) in April as com- pared to the year-ago period. This comes amid the country facing power crisis. The thermal pow- er generation was 93,838 MU in April 2021, according to of- ficial data. “Coal-based power generation has regis- tered a growth of 9.26 per cent in April 2022 as compared to April 2021 and growth of 2.25% as compared to March 2022,” it said. The thermal pow- er generation in Aprilalsogrew2.25% when compared to 1,00,276 MU in March, it said. The overall power generation last month increased 11.75% to 1,36,565 MU against 1,22,209 MU in the year-ago peri- od, it added. “Total power gen- eration has also in- creased in April 2022 to 1,36,565 MU from 1,33,584 MU in March 2022,” it said. The coal ministry had earlier said that the current power crisis is mainly on account of sharp de- cline in electricity generation from dif- ferent fuel sources and not due to non- availability of do- mestic coal. The gas-based power generation which has fallen drastically in the country, aggravated the crisis. Coalimporttopushpowersupplycostfordiscoms New Delhi (PTI): The government measures to ease pow- er supply constraints through higher coal imports are likely to increase cost of sup- ply for discoms by 4.5- 5.0 per cent in 2022-23, Icra said on Tuesday . On May 5, Ministry of Power (MoP) is- sued a directive under Section 11 of the Elec- tricity Act, stating that all imported coal- based power plants shall operate and gen- erate power at their full capacity to meet the growing demand, Icra stated. Girishkumar Kad- am, Senior Vice Presi- dent Co-Group Head - Corporate ratings, Icra, said all-India en- ergy demand in April and May 2022, grew 11.5% and 17.6% year- on-year, respectively, also supported by heat wave and weath- er conditions, while tight domestic coal supply position and elevated internation- al coal price levels continued to affect the energy generation levels. Measures di- rected by MoP are thus likely to consid- erably increase the coal import depend- ency for the power sector from about 4% in FY2022 to about 12- 13 per cent in FY2023, he added. Ensure quality power supply at reasonable rates to industries: FM Chennai (PTI): Union Finance Minister Nirma- la Sitharaman on Tuesday ap- pealed to states to build infra- structure and do “energy plan- ning” thereby en- suring uninter- rupted, quality supply of power is made available to industries at reasonable rates, enabling them to grow their busi- nesses. At an event here, she said the Centre would ex- tend all its sup- port to help states build the necessary infra- structure and this does not per- tain to Tamil Nadu but also to others. “My appeal to states is that they should ensure electricity and it should be made available 24 hours, all 365 days at reasona- ble rates. Indus- tries should get quality power...,” she said. Cryptocurrencies may soon attract 28 per cent GST New Delhi (Agen- cies): In what could further dampen the mood of crypto inves- tors in the country, the GST council is mull- ing a 28% tax on cryp- tocurrencies, at par with the current GST on casinos, betting and lottery, multiple media reports claimed. The services such as crypto mining along with sales and pur- chases are likely to at- tract the 28% GST if the proposal goes through in the next GST meeting. The Ministry of Fi- nance has already im- posed a 30% tax on profits made from the transfer of crypto as- sets and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). India distinguishes between cryptocur- rencies and crypto as- sets, and Union Fi- nance Minister Nir- mala Sitharaman dur- ing the Union Budget 2022-23 in February announced a 30 per cent tax on income from these transac- tions, which includes a 1 per cent deduction at source. New Delhi (PTI): The World Economic Fo- rum on Tuesday said 100 new startups, in- cluding five from India, have joined its Technol- ogy Pioneers Commu- nity and these include entities from health- care and financial ser- vices to the metaverse. Among the five Indi- an entities, Vahan is building a full-stack la- bour marketplace for blue-collar workers; SmartCoin Financials is a tech-driven finan- cial inclusion platform empowering the under- served; and Recykal is Asia’s first circular economy marketplace. Besides, Proeon is creating next-genera- tion plant proteins with superior taste, texture and nutrition, while Pandocorp is making supply chain execution intelligent with a fast logistics cloud, the WEF said about the Indian start- ups on the list. “Full of young and growing tech compa- nies, the 2022 cohort is forging new paths in healthcare, food pro- duction and more with cutting-edge technolo- gies,” the WEF said. This year’s intake also includes Emerge, which is improving vir- tual interactions through the develop- ment of a device with tactile effects for users at virtual gatherings. Ampd Energy is re- shaping the construc- tion industry by pio- neering battery energy storage systems, and Alife is supporting healthcare advances by using artificial intelli- gence to improve the success rate of in vitro fertilisation (IVF). “The 2022 cohort of Technology Pioneers is already bringing great changes to industries around the world,” said Saemoon Yoon, Tech- nology Pioneers Com- munity Lead, WEF. “By joining this com- munity these emerging tech leaders can con- tinue to show not only the impressive tech ad- vancements within their firms but also how their companies are helping to build a better future for us all.” For the first time, over one-third of the selected firms are led by women. 5 startups among 100 joining Tech Pioneers Community Among the five Indian entities, Vahan is building a full- stack labour marketplace for blue-collar workers CRYPTO INDUSTRY WANTS GOVT TO LOWER TDS ON TRANSACTIONS New Delhi (PTI): The crypto industry has urged the government to reduce the TDS on payments towards gains arising from trading in cryptocurrencies to 0.01 or 0.05%, from the proposed 1%, saying it will hurt retail traders. CoinDCX CEO and Co-Founder Sumit Gupta said 30% tax on income from cryptocurrencies is on the higher side and should be reduced. “At the industry (level), we are engaging with the government and have submitted a presentation on how 30% tax and more than that, 1% TDS is detrimental to the growth of the industry. It will lock up capital for traders and suck liquidity from market. If liquidity is not there, retail investors will suffer,” Gupta told reporters. The 2022-23 Budget has brought in clarity with regard to levy of income tax on crypto assets. SBI hikes interest rates on bulk term deposits by 40-90 bps Mumbai (PTI): Coun- try’s largest lender State Bank of India on Tuesday announced a hike of 40-90 basis points in the interest rates on several bulk term deposits. The revised interest rates on bulk term de- posits amounting to `2 crore and above are ef- fective from Tuesday, the bank said. While interest rate on deposits maturing be- tween 7 days and 45 days has been kept un- changed at 3%, those maturing between 46 and 179 days will now attract an interest rate of 3.50% as against 3% earlier. The public sector lender also revised in- terest rate on bulk term deposits maturing be- tween 180 and 210 days by 40 basis points to 3.50%, as against 3.10% earlier, as per the bank’s website. Deposits maturing between 211 days and less than 1 year will earn an interest of 3.75 per cent, up 45 bps from 3.30%. New Delhi (Agen- cies): The Indian economy is currently facing high underly- inginflationandneeds further policy tighten- ing, according to a note by Nomura. Only four nations in Asia feature in the basket of ‘hot’ econo- mies wherein the in- flation rate is on the higher end of the spec- trum it include In- dia, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. The nations featur- ing in the ‘hot’ bucket need further policy tightening, the note says. “For the four economies in our ‘HOT’ inflation buck- et, real policy rates remain significantly negative, which calls for more policy tight- ening, with the risk that policy will need to be front-loaded and need to move beyond neutral.” Countries featuring in the ‘warm’ bucket, i.e, those economies where underlying in- flation is around the target but on an up- trend, include Indone- sia, Malaysia, Philip- pines, Thailand. Hong Kong is the only country to feature in the ‘cold’ bucket as it faces low, stable under- lying inflation. Sensex, Nifty continues to fall for the third day in a row Mumbai (PTI): Equity indices failed to hold on to their gains in see-saw trade on Tuesday, end- ing in the red for the third straight session despite a tentative re- covery in global equites. The 30-share BSE Sensex had a choppy start but gained mo- mentum in mid-session trade. However, it suc- cumbed to selling pres- sure towards the fag end to close 105.82 points or 0.19% lower at 54,364.85. On similar lines, the broader NSE Nifty declined 61.80 points or 0.38% to finish at 16,240.05. Tata Steel was the biggest loser in the Sensex pack. SBI BOARD APPROVES RAISING UP TO $2 BN VIA BONDS IN 2022-23 FINANCIAL YEAR New Delhi (PTI): The country’s largest lender SBI on Tuesday said its board has approved raising up to $2 billion (about Rs 15,430 crore) from the overseas market during the current fiscal to fund foreign business growth.The central board has approved raising of funds through single or multiple tranches, SBI said in a regulatory filing. The long-term funds of up to $2 billion would be raised through a public offer and/or private placement of senior unsecured notes in US dollar or any other convertible currency during 2022-23, it added. INFLATION IN INDIA ‘HOT’, SAYS REPORT
  • 9. MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022 08 2NDFRONT www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia Experience gives us the vision not to see ‘much’ but to see ‘wisely’. —Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO Editor-in-Chief, First India Renni Abraham Mumbai: The Enforce- ment Department (ED) insists that the state-run Sir JJ Group of Hospi- tals (JJ) is well equipped to meet the medical re- quirements of MVA ministers Anil Desh- mukh and Nawab Malik and wants the special courttorejecttheirpleas for medical treatment in private hospitals. The legal counsel for former Maharashtra home minister Desh- mukh and minister for minorities and Wakf board Malik, of the Na- tionalist Congress Par- ty (NCP), in turn, insist on their right to seek their choice of special- ized medical interven- tion through a special- ized medical facility and doctors, also of their own choice. While the special PMLA court was yet to decide on the legal- ity of the issue at the time of going to print, a larger question aris- es: Is the public health system administered by the Maharashtra government and its lo- cal self-body in Mum- bai, the Brihanmum- bai Municipal Corpo- ration, up to scratch? Consider this: Mum- bai’s KEM has the dis- tinction of being only the third super-speciali- ty hospital in the world to carry out a heart transplant surgery (In- dia’s first) way back in 1968. Similarly , the first (living donor) liver transplant was also an- other surgical feat car- riedoutinthesameyear. Another super speci- ality public hospital in Mumbai, the Sion Hospital, car ried out the first (cadaver) kidney transplant in 1997. However, the fol- lowing decades saw these pioneer multi-or- gan transplant (public) institutions losing their pre-eminence in the global medical order, with private hospitals taking over. D r Surendra Kumar Ma- thur, President, Zonal Transplant Coordina- tion Centre (ZTCC) set up by the Maharashtra government over two decades ago says, “We are at par with Interna- tional standards in or- gan transplants and, in fact, India is a world leader in the sphere of living donor liver trans- plant procedures. On technicality and quali- ty benchmarks we are at par with the western world today. India com- mands huge experience and has been a pioneer in living donor liver transplants. While South Korea and Japan were ahead at one stage today we boast of the best brains and (surgi- cal) hands in India.” However, the prefer- ence for private hospi- tals by the rich and famous is only too evi- dent in India, Maha- rashtra and Mumbai, owing to a deliberate quality downgrade that accompanies ad- ministrative bureau- cracy in several gov- ernment-run institu- tions. “The problem started when non-government- run hospitala entered intoprivatetreatieswith their doctors, who want- ed the liberty to charge overandabovetheirpre- scribed tariff structures from VIP patients. The doctorsearnedmore,the management trusts earned more, and pa- tients started paying throughtheirnoses.The deterioration of public health institutions be- gan from there,” a well- placed doctor in a super- speciality private hospi- tal in Mumbai told First India, asking not to be named for fear of profes- sional blowback. First India Bureau Mumbai: Mumbai re- ported 122 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, a steep rise from the 63 cases detected a day ear- lier, a civic official said. This is the seventh time the daily addition to the tally was above the 100- mark this month. The tally in the me- tropolisreached10,60,914 and the fatality count remained unchanged at 19,563, he said. So far, 10,40,507 per- sons have been dis- charged post-recovery , including 100 during the day , leaving the city with anactivecaseloadof 844, the official said. Of the new cases, only tworequiredhospitaliza- tion, though they are not in need of oxygen sup- port, the official said, adding that just 25 of the 25,249 hospital beds ear- marked for COVID-19 treatment were current- ly occupied. Brihanmumbai Mu- nicipalCorporationdata showed the positivity rate was 0.015%, the re- coveryratewas98%,and the overall growth rate of cases between May 03 and 09 stood at 0.010%. First India Bureau Mumbai: Chief Min- ister Uddhav Thack- eray, on Tuesday, chaired a review meeting of the Board of Directors of Maha- rashtra Airport De- velopment Company Extensive at Varsha Niwas. He instructed the Board that the work in the action plan for the develop- ment of airports in the state should be completed as a matter of priority. CM said that the “The Maharashtra Airport Development Company should pay attention to the quality of air servic- es in Shirdi and other districts. Work on the existing projects at Mi- han should be expedit- ed,” adding that “the Samrudhi Highway will also give impetus to the ongoing air traffic in the nearby district, so the proposed projects in this area should be complet- ed.Theongoingworkfor the expansion of Kol- hapur-Ratnagiriairport, an extension of Amra- vati airport runway shouldalsobecompleted at the earliest.” He also instructed the Boardtotakeimmediate actionregardingthepro- posed project of a satel- lite airport at Palghar. It was decided at the meeting that the air- ports completed by the Maharashtra Industri- al Development Corpo- ration should be trans- ferred to the Maha- rashtra Airport Devel- opment Company so that it would be easier for a single entity to work on the develop- ment of the airline. Thackerey presented the MADC Award to Managing Director Deepak Kapoor in the category of ‘Best State with a Dedicated Out- look for the Aviation Sector’. Effectively implement action plan for airport development: CM EASE OF FLYING lll Also instructed Board to take immediate action regarding proposed project of satellite airport at Palghar WHAT HAPPENED TO MUMBAI’S PUBLIC HEALTHCARE SYSTEM? Deshmukh, Malik’s disinclination to be treated at JJ Hosp shows lack of faith in eroding public healthcare Thackerey presented the MADC Award to Managing Director Deepak Kapoor in the category of ‘Best State with a Dedicated Outlook for the Aviation Sector’ on Tuesday. NARVEKAR VISITS SARISKA Milind Narvekar, secretary and political advisor to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, and his wife Meera, went for a tiger safari in the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar on Monday. The adventurers spotted tiger ST 21 and tigress ST 9 at Ghanka water point. They also offered prayers at the Pandupol Hanumanji temple. Later, the political aide also met Sariska Field Director RN Meena and District Forest Officer (DFO) Sudarshan Sharma, and was provided with information about the tiger reserve. A possibility of bringing tigers from Maharashtra to Alwar’s reserve was also discussed. With 122 cases, Mum sees 7th 100+ jump in May As many as 7,678 samples were examined in the last 24 hours. New Delhi (ANI): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has successful- ly foiled attempts of organised gold smug- gling racket through air routes by effecting two successive sei- zures in Lucknow and Mumbai last week, which had a common method of conceal- ment of gold. After having re- ceived precise intelli- gence on May 6, DRI officals inspected a consignment which had arrived from Dubai at Air Cargo Complex, Chhatrapa- ti Shivaji Maharaj In- ternational Airport in Mumbai. In the im- port documents, the item was declared as ‘sectional drum type drain cleaning machines’, but on careful examination, 5.8 kg gold worth Rs 3.10 crore in disc form was found con- cealed inside two motor ro- tors of the machine imported in the said consignment. The importer was located in south Mum- bai and was arrested. The importer has been sent to judicial custody by the Court. This seizure in Mumbai was on the heels of another sei- zure made by DRI Of- ficers in Lucknow a day earlier on May 5. In that case too, DRI intercepted an import cargo said to contain “electrical threading machine” at Air Car- go Complex of Chaud- hary Charan Singh International Air- port, Lucknow, and gold discs were found concealed in the ma- chines in very similar fashion. Total 5.2 kg gold, valued at Rs 2.78 crore, was seized. DRI foils gold smuggling plans, seizes `5.88 cr gold Over the last year, DRI has effected significant seizures of gold from cargo and courier consignments. In July 2021, DRI had seized 16.79 kg gold, worth Rs8 crore, from a courier consign- ment, followed by seizure of 80.13 kg smuggled gold, valued at Rs 39.31 crore, in November 2021 from a cargo consignment, both at New Delhi. ALMOST 50KG GOLD RECOVERED JULY-DEC 2021 Mumbai’s KEM has the distinction of being only the third super-speciality hospital in the world to carry out a heart transplant surgery (India’s first) way back in 1968. Similarly, the first (living donor) liver transplant was also another surgical feat car- ried out in the same year. Another super special- ity public hospital in Mumbai, the Sion Hospital, carried out the first cadaver kidney transplant in 1997. However, the following decades saw these pioneering multi-organ transplant institutions los- ing their pre-eminence in the global medical order, with private hospitals taking over. ONCE THEY WERE GIANTS We are at par with interna- tional standards, in terms of tech- nicality and quality in organ transplants, and India is a world leader in living donor liver trans- plant procedures. While South Ko- rea and Japan were ahead once, today we boast of the best brains and (surgical) hands in India.” —Dr Surendra Kumar Mathur, president, ZTCC EXCLUSIVE —FILE PHOTO
  • 10. MUMBAI, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022 ndo-Western fashion, of- ten known as fusion fash- ion, embraces the beauty of both Western and Indi- an traditions while foster- ing innovation across bor- ders. From ethnic needlework like Punjabi Phulkari and Ra- jasthani mirror work incorpo- rated into western-style clothes. Styles like Chanderi, Meenakari, Kundan, Resham, and Zardozi are used in more intricate work. Rajasthan State Handloom Cor- poration, under the leadership of CMD Neha Giri IAS, conducted the Rajasthan Handloom Show 2022 on the eve of Rajasthan Di- was, which is observed on March 30 every year. The fashion show was conducted with the motive to promote sustainable fashion as well as the craftsmen, weavers, and manufacturers behind tex- tile crafts. Aachho, the fashion design development partner is one of India’s premier ethnic wear fashion firms situated in Jaipur. The complete collection was developed utilising indige- nous natural materials and tradi- tional dyeing and printing pro- cesses. The astonishing fused collection by Aachho was developed utilising in- digenous natural materials and traditional dyeing and printing processes by Rimjhim Hada, Founder and Creative Head of Aachho, with an emphasis on integrating ethnic fashion tra- ditions with modern sensibili- ties. Pastel shades embroi- dered Chanderi fabric is soothingly soft and refresh- ing to the eyes. Feminine and delicate, that create a poetic impression, go for a minimal approach to styl- ing when you choose to wear PASTELS! The fashion show, which took place at Hawa Mahal, one of Jaipur’s most iconic locations, included models from Style Skool as well as supermodels Candice Pinto and Deepti Gujral as showstoppers. Sizzlin Scizzors, the official make-up hair partner followed the show theme, giving all the models a striking look Diggi Palace set an example for amaz- ing hospitality for guests. The show was directed by the re- nowned TV stylist and fashion Choreographer, Abhimanyu Sin- gh Tomar and the entire event was managed by Abhishek Singh from Vanamo Entertainment. Of- ficial fashion photographer Yash Jangid captured magical mo- ments thru his lens. The collection will be available on aachho.com starting June 1st. UTTKARSHA SHEKHAR uttkarsha.shekhar@firstindia.co.in I AACHHO JAIPUR KNITS MAGIC AT THE RAJASTHAN HANDLOOM SHOW 2022 AS AN EXCLUSIVE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT PARTNER. THE FOCUS OF THE COLLECTION IS ON FUSING ETHNIC DRESS TRADITIONS WITH A CONTEMPORARY SENSIBILITY 09 www.firstindia.co.in I https://firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/ thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia EXQUISITE HUE OF FASHION!
  • 11. MONA, Model FACE OF THE DAY! Aries MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 Dietary control will benefit. Assistance of colleagues will help complete a project much before time. A family youngster is likely to make you proud. Don’t be hasty in matters pertaining to property. An entertaining time with near and dear ones is foreseen. A raise is on the cards. Gemini MAY 21 - JUNE 21 You will manage to showcase your professional skills to those who matter. Playing your cards well in a family situation will get you the support and attention you crave for. Taking possession of a new house may become a reality for some. You won’t keep a regular exercise routine. Leo JULY 24 - AUGUST 23 Whatever you deal in today is likely to turn to gold! Those experienc- ing a cash crunch will manage to overcome it by tight budgeting. A family member may prove annoying by not doing your bidding. Good returns can be expected by those investing in property. A good routine will help you in health. Libra SEPTEMBER 24 - OCTOBER 22 Your desire to increase earning may need to be put on hold temporarily till the time is right. Your health conscious- ness will keep you hale and hearty. Pending things on the home front may hinder official work. Those looking to buy property are likely to get one at bargain price. Sagittarius NOVEMBER 23 - DECEMBER 22 Inculcating physical workouts in your lifestyle will benefit health. A family get together can find you into your element. You will have enough to invest in a suitable property. Interest in whatever you have undertaken on the academic front may wane, so find ways to remain focused. Aquarius JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 19 Settling down in a new house is indicated for some. You can feel overworked on the professional front. Spouse can expect a helping hand. An invitation to a party or function may provide you an opportunity to meet someone special. Savings is the only way you by which you can repay loans. Taurus APRIL 21 - MAY 20 Someone may do for you more than what was expected on the social front. Your life will turn better if you accept the changes with ease. Fingers may be pointed at you for something you are not responsible for. You can find yourself fitter with regular exercises. A property may come into your name. Cancer JUNE 22 - JULY 23 A new project will proceed smoothly as you get help from all quarters. You will need to handle a tensed family member with sympathy. A property dispute can pit you against someone close. A misunderstanding with someone is likely to be cleared. You will find lover most considerate. Virgo AUGUST 24 - SEPTEMBER 23 Those ailing can expect their condition to improve. Not much gains on the monetary front are indicated. Those feeling restless in a particular job will be able to settle down in time. Interruptions on the domestic front are foreseen that will not allow you to do your own thing. Scorpio OCTOBER 23 - NOVEMBER 22 Peak physical fitness will make even strenuous activities seem like child’s play. Bad mood of a family member may spoil the domestic environment. A holiday promises much rest and rejuvenation. A thing you had been apprehensive about will turn out in your favour. Capricorn DECEMBER 23 - JANUARY 20 A forthcoming family event is likely to raise your spirits. Those dealing with property issues may need to be careful not to get into legal hassles. A get together will prove refreshing. Lack of energy may make you postpone some important tasks. A quiet evening with lover seems difficult. Pisces FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 20 Work front may appear a bit too demanding, but you will be able to handle it well. Problems faced on the health front show signs of disappearing completely. A family get-together will provide an excellent opportunity to meet people. Social front will be happening, but may waste time. 10 ETC MUMBAI | WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022 www.firstindia.co.in I https://firstindia.co.in/epapers/mumbai I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia ‘PK... THE IDEA CRAVES FOR...’ rovidentially, PK was born in 1977, the year when the dark clouds of an E m e r g e n c y period were be- ing scattered under pres- sure from a disjointed opposition. As PK grew up, his brilliant mind, charisma and passion for clean politics took him on a “rollercoaster ride,” as he aptly tweeted on April 2. Over-anxious, ill-in- formed biased journal- ists/anchors, along with cynical, envious and in- secure politicians keep trying to tie PK down and brand him inside a small pen. They call him over- ambitious, a fox, a hedge- hog, a snake or even a trojan horse. To their ut- ter frustration, such in- sinuations and dirt does not stick to him because what they see in him are their reflections. PK is a driven man on a mission, and as he says, with a “quest to be a meaningful participant in Democracy” These lofty ideals just do not go down anybody’s throat owing to their cynicism, corruption and rejection of the truth. They can neither deci- pher his outer Calm (Prashant), nor the inner sprightliness of a Colt (Kishor). He stands tall, sits straight and speaks the truth. This conduct belies the chicanery of most of the Legislators and so-called “guardi- ans” of the Fourth Es- tate. The fact that the Executive is the hidden steering wheel in this conspiracy, is another story , for another day !! So what does a man of such character equani- mous passion do ?? He does what his idol MK Gandhi did !!....... That great soul shed every- thing, including most of his clothes, and went to his people for a deeper understanding of real In- dia. When PK sensed that it was time to shed most of these power-hungry, in- corrigible, self-seeking “owners” of political parties, he tweeted this simple eloquent mes- sage as a master commu- nicator: “ .....Time to go to the Real Masters, THE PEOPLE, to better un- derstand the issues the path to “Jan Suraj” - Peo- ple’s Good Governance !! It is as obvious as to- morrow’s sunrise that it will be an uphill task for PK.........a start from scratch. But then, which mountain was con- quered by landing on the peak by parachute ?? All climbs to the summit be- gin from the little base camps. Since we Indians are so besotted by our Cine- ma, it would be apt to analogise PK with a hero of Hindi Movies. PK can be fairly compared to the quintessential actor: Ra- jendra Kumar. Apart from the resemblance demeanour, he also carries the Midas touch of the “Silver Jubilee Ku- mar”. That was an era when a movie’s success was measured by the number of s c r e e n - ings in a particular thea- tre, rather than the 00-100 crore weekend sprint. PK is a marathon man with the patience, stamina strategy for such a run. His Midas touch has been proven by his ability to push potential but marginal wins into landslide victories, each every time. The lone UP failure proved to be the exception to his rule. All those who did lend him an ear and actioned his strategy walked away with a minimum of 70 per cent of the elected legislators !! It would not be too far- fetched to call PK the “Landslide Kishore”, though he would surely shun this presumptuous restrictive Brand name. Amongst the wicked villains Rajendra Kumar, like PK, was the prover- bial boy-next-door, the ideal son, brother, hus- band and top-class pro- fessional. A toiling Hero for Mother India. As PK heads for the dusty villages of his home-state Bihar, it is to be seen if this self-effac- ing man with the wisdom certitude of a sage, will take his mission to Gan- dhian peaks. Most will say that my imagination is running wild like a Colt !! But isn’t it the same IDEA that we all crave?? RAINU SINGH singh.rainu@gmail.com P Prashant Kishor YOUR DAY Horoscopeby SaurabbhSachdeva Whatsapp Subscription Subscribe “First India” Daily E-News Paper For Free On Whatsapp To Receive the Most Exclusive News from the Power Corridors of MAHARASHTRA