DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2024, AHMEDABAD, LATE CITY, 22 PAGES `5.00 ● WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 CONTOURS OF REDEPLOYMENT POSSIBLE AFTER NEXT ROUND OF MILITARY TALKS India and China make ‘significant progress’ on pending LAC issues in eastern Ladakh INDIA AND China are learnt to have made “significant progress” in narrowing their gap on pending issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. This includes exploring the contours of a possible solution that factors in their respective pre-April 2020 positions while agreeing to ad- PAKISTAN NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 25 DepsangPlains Ladakh Daulat Hot BegOldie Galwan Springs J&K Leh Srinagar PangongTso Demchok CHINA AMRITA NAYAK DUTTA dress existing issues in Arunachal Pradesh, The Indian Express has learnt. Sources said this might im- plythatIndiantroops,whoseaccess to certain patrolling points along the LAC were blocked either by Chinese troops or due to theimplementationof thebuffer zones created in the backdrop of disengagement at specific friction points, might be close to accessing them again. Top officials have confirmed thatthedevelopmenttookplace during the latest diplomatic and politicalleveltalksbetweenboth CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 E EXPLAINED Both sides explore solution that factors in pre-standoff positions, to address pending issues in Arunachal At centre ● of dispute FRICTION POINTS such as Galwan Valley, north and south banks of Pangong Tso, Gogra-Hot Springs area have seen some resolution with buffer zones. Legacy issues of Depsang Plains and Demchok remain — troops at Depsang Plains were blocked from accessing patrol points. Disengagement one part of problem, main issue is patrolling: Jaishankar YOSHITA SINGH NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 25 THE INDIA-CHINA relationship wouldinfluencethefutureof the entire world, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said while making it clear that peace needed to be restored on the AN EXPRESS INVESTIGATION border first for bilateral ties to move forward. Addressing an event hosted by the Asia Society and the Asia Society Policy Institute here on Tuesday,JaishankarnotedIndia’s “difficulthistory”withChinaand said the “parallel rise” of the two countriespresented“avery,very CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE WORLD On RG Kar graft radar: Firm handled waste for 44 months without treatment plant AMID AIRSTRIKES, ISRAEL PREPARES FOR GROUND ATTACK ON LEBANON RUSSIA MAY USE NUKES IF ATTACKED: PUTIN TO WEST P 20 Company got fresh contract for waste disposal despite flouting previous deal’s terms SEEKS FAIR, IMPARTIAL PROBE ‘Can’t be termed as encounter’: Bombay HC questions killing of Badlapur accused OMKAR GOKHALE MUMBAI, SEPTEMBER 25 RAISING SEVERAL questions on thepoliceclaimthattheaccused in the Badlapur sexual assault casewasgunneddownin“retaliatory firing”, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday said “this cannot be termed as an encounter”. Saying the incident “could have been avoided”, the HC called for a “fair and impartial probe”, adding that it would be “constrained to pass orders” otherwise. Pointing out that “four trained police officers” were accompanying the man, the HC said they should have tried to disarm and overpower him first. “Ordinarily, you would fire on the leg. How you fired on the temple or head of the deceased?,” it asked. On Monday, the 23-year-old janitor, arrested last month for allegedlysexuallyassaultingtwo four-year-old girls at a school in Badlapur (Thane district), was gunned down when he was being taken in a police vehicle. Police said he was killed in “retaliatoryfiring”afterhesnatched an officer's service weapon and opened fire. According to police, the accused fired three rounds, injuring an officer. Allegingafakeencounter,the BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY fatherof thedeceasedhadfileda pleaincourtseekingaprobebya Special Investigation Team (SIT). Hearing the plea on Wednesday, a division bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and PrithvirajKChavansaid:“Weare lookingatthematterfromallangles. We make it clear that we want to know the truth and we are not remotely suspecting activities by the police, but they have to come clean.” The court asked if the deceased knew how to unlock the pistol. Public prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar, who represented the state government, submitted that the weapon was not locked, and the magazine was released when the deceased CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 J&K PHASE 2 TURNOUT DROPS: 57% Foreign diplomats witness voting at Bemina polling booth in Srinagar during Phase 2 of J&K Assembly elections, Wednesday. The turnout was 57%, down from 61% in Phase 1. Shuaib Masoodi At a protest against the healthcare ‘syndicate’ in Kolkata. File JAY MAZOOMDAAR KOLKATA, SEPTEMBER 25 THE CBI is probing the sale and disposal of biomedical waste as partof itsallegedcorruptioncase at Kolkata’s R G Kar Medical College Hospital, the epicentre of a political firestorm after last month’s rape and murder of a medical intern there. A little-known company, SNG Envirosolutions, could hold one key to this in the manner it grew to handle up to 70% of waste from government hospitals across the state, including at RG Kar, without owning a single waste treatment plant in violation of its contract’s terms, an investigation by The Indian Express has revealed. Records show that in 2019, the company, owned by Kolkata businessman S P Singh, won the contractby tying up with a Delhi firm that owned a treatment plant in UP. At a daily rate of Rs 8-9 per bed — there are an estimated 80,000 government hospital beds across the state — SNG collected tonnes of hospital waste daily for 44 months relying on a sub-contract with its rival. All this while, SNG operated from a “table” in the premises of one its GUJARAT key investors, a business family of Kolkata. The government terminated SNG’s contract in June 2023, when the sub-contractor pulled out. Within three months, SNG set up its first treatment plant in the state — and was awarded a fresh contract. When contacted by The Indian Express,RajivaSinha,who was the state’s Health Secretary whenSNGwonthecontract,said that “everything went by the book”.Headdedthattherulesallowedcompanieswithouttreatment plants, “provided they set up the facilities within the prescribed deadline of four months from getting environmental clearance (EC).” SNG, however, did notcomplete the EC application process for years. Asked about this, Sinha, who is now the state’s Election Commissioner, said: “If a company violated any condition later,mysuccessorsintheHealth (department) must have taken appropriate steps.” Incidentally, Sinha was the Calcutta Environment Improvement Project director in 2006 when another company owned by S P Singh, SNG Mercantile, was hired as a consultant for a project funded by the Asian CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 After UP, Himachal: Cong minister says eateries must display owner ID SAURABH PARASHAR In Jammu, BJP gets its house in order, Congress fumbles its initial advantage ARUN SHARMA JAMMU, SEPTEMBER 25 AT THE start of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly poll campaign,theBJPthathadwon25of the 37 seats in the Jammu province in 2014 looked on a shaky wicket. Therewasstronganti-incumbency against the party, over the rise in eviction drives, property tax and toll plazas under the Centre-run J&K administration, as well as deep disapvoting, the Congress appointmentthattheprompears to have frittered ised benefits from the away the advantage. A Article 370 abrogation, combinationofinfighting such as more jobs and in– which at times pushed DECISION the release of names to vestments, had not mate2024 rialised. The BJP further the eve of nomination J&K bungleditsstartwithcondeadline ending – a lackfusion over candidate lists, lead- lustrecampaignbythepartyand ing to protests by supporters of theBJP’saggressivefightbackhas the big names who were lefttheCongresslookinglikethe dropped. jadedone.EventheBJP’sgamble However, as the J&K polls hit of dropping senior leaders and the mid-way point Wednesday, formerministersappearstohave with the second of three phases CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 SHIMLA, SEPTEMBER 25 A DAY after the Uttar Pradesh government made it mandatory for food outlets across the state to display the name and address of operators, proprietors and managers, Himachal Pradesh’s Minister for Public Works Department and Urban Development, Vikramaditya Singh, said that the owner’s ID card will have to be displayed in every eatery and food stall in the Congress-ruled state. A day after the decision was taken at a meeting held at his office, he posted on Facebook, “In Himachal Pradesh too, every eatery and fast food cart will have to display the owner’s ID so customers don’t face any sort of inconvenience. To this effect, an orderhasbeenpassedinameeting of the Urban Development and Municipal Corporation. Jai Shri Ram.” Contacted by The Indian Express, he said, “I will only like to say that this decision is statecentric, it is for the well-being of people of the state.” His mother Pratibha Singh, president of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee, did not weigh in on the decision, saying one should ask Vikramaditya about it. Senior BJP leader and MLA Randhir Sharma, who is also the spokesperson of the opposition party in the state, said, “Like CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Gehlot should be questioned in phone-tapping case: His ex-OSD HAMZA KHAN JAIPUR, SEPTEMBER 25 FORMER RAJASTHAN Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot should be questioned in connection with the phone tapping case that is being probed by Delhi Police, his former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Lokesh Sharma, who is an accused in the case, said on Wednesday. After being questioned for Ashok Gehlot more than five hours by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police, Sharmatoldreporters,“Asusual, there was a long list of questions but the main question of the puzzle has been where did I get the audio clips from. So today I revealed it before the Crime Branch and gave them a sevenpage written statement.” “In it, I have stated, with evidence,thataround6.30-7pmon July16,2020,thethenCMAshok Gehlot called me and gave me a pendrive,whichhadaudioclips, and told me to circulate it in the media,” he said. “Now Ashok Gehlot should be questioned. CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 PRINCIPAL HELD FOR SEXUALLY ASSAULTING, KILLING SIX-YEAR-OLD GIRL ‘How can teachers be demons’: Gujarat village in shock over minor’s murder GIR: REVISED DRAFT FOR ECO-SENSITIVE ZONE HEAVY RAIN IN SURAT CAUSES INCONVENIENCE P 4 EXPLAINED POLITICS CLAUSE 6 OF ASSAM ACCORD PAGE 18 PAGE 1 ANCHOR ADITI RAJA DAHOD, SEPTEMBER 25 IT WAS a regular school day morning. Around 10.20 am on September19,ataremotevillage in Gujarat's Dahod district, the six-year-oldandhermothertook a short walk from their home to thepointwheretheroadcurved. Theyspottedafamiliarvehicle— the principal’s car. “I waved and requested him to take my daughter along to school, like I have done several times in the past. He agreed and my daughter happily went along,” the woman recalls. That was the last time she saw her daughter, the first of her two children, alive. On September 22, police arrested the 58-year-old principal under POCSO Act charges and BNS sections related to murder and rape. Police said the accused attempted to rape the girl on their way to the school and, when she resisted, smothered her to death. As the evening wore on, and the family realised that the girl had not turned up, they began askingaround.Thesearchended a few hours later, on the premises of the primary school – her body was found in the backyard, in a small space that separated the school building from its boundary wall. The Dahod police, which investigated the case, questioned multiple people — teachers, the child's classmates, children in the village with whom she wouldoftenwalkbackhome.No one had seen the girl in school that day. Theschool—theonlygovernmentprimaryschoolinthevicinity—isinaneighbouringvillage. Children mostly went to the school in groups — a 10-15minute walk through a partly paved road, flanked by corn fields. If their teachers or principal happened to pass by, they wouldhitcharide.Whichiswhy, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Ahmedabad