DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE `5.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 M Sarkar ki Guarantee Modi Hamara Sankalp Prosperous Farmers, Prosperous Nation • 1,389 mandis and 1.8 crore farmers connected with e-NAM • Farmers getting better prices for agricultural products through 'Beej se Bazar tak' initiative Viksit Bharat Scan for more information PROBE INTO KIRU PROJECT IN KISHTWAR CBI searches premises of former J&K Governor Malik in hydel project case Sandeshkhali: Fresh protests and arson, prohibitory orders invoked RAVIK BHATTACHARYA & ATRI MITRA SANDESHKHALI (WB), FEBRUARY 22 TENSIONGRIPPEDSandeshkhali again Thursday after a group of residents staged fresh protests and allegedly set fire to an ‘alaghar’ (guard room) of a fishery that they claimed had been built on land grabbed by local TMC leaders. Following the incident, the administration invoked prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 in nine areas under five gram panchayats of Sandeshkhali. A small island in the Sundarban delta in West Bengal’s North 24-Parganas district, Sandeshkhali has been at the centre of BJP-TMC politics ever since January 5 when Enforcement Directorate officers were assaulted while conducting a search at the home of local strongman and TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh. The ED team had gone there in connection with an investigation into alleged irregularities in the state’s public distribution system. Earlier this month, local residents went on a rampage seeking the arrest of Sheikh and his associates Uttam Sardar and Shibaprasad Hazra – the residents accused the TMC leaders CONTINUEDONPAGE2 Agency claims irregularities in Rs 2,200-crore contract award I was whistleblower in scam, raid is to silence critics: Malik from hospital MAHENDER SINGH MANRAL RITU SARIN THE CBI Thursday searched 30 places, including three premises of Jammu and Kashmir’s former Governor Satya Pal Malik in Delhi, Gurugram and UP’s Baghpat, as part of its probe into alleged corruption in the award of a contract for a hydel project in Jammu division’s Kishtwar district. SPEAKING FROM his bed in a New Delhi hospital -- he is being treated for a foot infection -- former Jammu & Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik told TheIndianExpressthattheraids carried out at his residence today by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) were “uncalled for” since he was actually NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 22 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 PAGE 1 ANCHOR CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 22 At the ‘Heroes of Mumbai’ event, busts of 17 distinguished citizens were unveiled at Kilachand Garden in Girgaon by BJP national president J P Nadda on Thursday. From left: Ramnath Goenka, founder of The Indian Express Group, Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, and social reformer Savitribai Phule. Sankhadeep Banerjee E EXPLAINED IN A significant step forward towards eliminating Kala Azar — the second deadliest parasitic disease after malaria in the country--Indiahasachievedthe target of reporting less than one case per 10,000 population across all blocks in 2023. Data from the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme showed that there were 595 cases and four deaths of Kala Azar reported nationwide last year compared to 891 cases and three deaths in 2022. Digital and documentary evidence of huge cash deposits, EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE In 2023, first time, India hits target towards eliminating Kala Azar NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 22 Multiple teams from the CBI conducted the searches in eight states and Union Territories. the “whistleblower and complainant” in the Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project case. TheformerGovernorwasadmitted to the hospital four days CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Ramnath Goenka bust among 17 unveiled in Mumbai garden as city honours its illustrious W.H.O. EXPERTS VERIFYING DATA ANONNA DUTT I have hidden the manuscript of my tell-all Kashmir book: Malik NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 22 CBI officials at former J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik’s residence in Delhi’s Som Vihar on Thursday. Amit Mehra Needed: 2yrsoflow ● casecount INDIA HAS missed four deadlines so this is the first but significant step towards eradicating the parasitic disease. India has to keep case count below 1 per 10,000 population in all blocks for two more years. What has helped is spraying, sealing and using ASHA network to track treatment. THEBUSTSof17eminentpersonalitieswhocontributedtothedevelopmentofMumbai,including that of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, V D Savarkar, Lata Mangeshkar andRamnathGoenka,founderof The Indian Express Group, were unveiled at Kilachand Garden in Girgaon Thursday. BJP national president J P Nadda unveiled the statues, as partof honouringiconswhocontributed to the city’s progress. Speakingatthe event, Nadda said, “This park is infused with energy that not only uplifts but also illuminates the mind, fostering an environment of enlightenment. It is imperative for Michael Sandel, political philosopher and professor, is guest at Express Adda today EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE the upcoming generation to be cognisant of the invaluable contributions made by these great personalities, shaping the bright future we experience today.” Seeking to serve as a source of inspiration for Mumbaikars, other icons honoured were: Dadasaheb Phalke, Savitribai Phule, Kusumagraj, Homi Bhabha, JRD Tata, Jagannath ShankarSheth,AnnabhauSathe, Balasaheb Thackeray, Dhirubhai Ambani, Seth Moti Shah, Babu Genu, Ashok Kumar Jain and SachinTendulkar.Italsoincludes a representational bust of the Koli community. A statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was also unveiled. Initiated by Maharashtra CabinetMinisterMangalPrabhat CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE WORLD CEASEFIRE HOPES RISE AS HAMAS CHIEF IN CAIRO PAGE 15 NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 22 AS ONE of the world’s most influential public intellectuals, Michael J Sandel has engaged with the urgent moral issues of our times, his work taking on contemporary subjects with an eye on history. The political philosopher and Harvard University Professor will be the guest at Express Adda in New Delhi Friday. Having delved into some of the most difficult socio-political questions of our times, he has drawn from various disciplines to pen books such as The BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY Michael J Sandel Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good, and What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets. His Harvard course, ‘Justice’, launched at the university more Government of India cbc 22201/13/0274/2324 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2024, AHMEDABAD, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES than 20 years ago, has involved thousands of students and was released as a free online course in 2009. Still viewed by millions around the world, it has a CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 X reveals Govt asked it to block certain handles; most were backing farm protest SOUMYARENDRA BARIK NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 22 BILLIONAIREELONMusk’ssocial media company X (formerly Twitter) has said it has received orders from the Indian government to block certain accounts and links, failing which the platformanditsemployeescouldface potentialpenaltiesincludingsignificantfinesandimprisonment. TheIndianExpresshaslearnt that amajority of theseaccounts were tweeting in support of the ongoingfarmers’protests.Earlier this month, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, had ordered blocking of hundreds of accounts and links on various socialmediaplatforms–Facebook, X, and Instagram. This marks a new flashpoint in the tensions escalating betweenthesocial mediaplatform andtheIndiangovernment,with the former having sued the Centre over content blocking orders in 2022. The ruling last year, however, went against the company. In an early morning post on X owner Elon Musk Thursday,X’sgovernmentaffairs handlesaidwhileitwascomplying with New Delhi’s blocking orders, it “disagrees” with its actions. “Due to legal restrictions, we are unable to publish the executive orders, but we believe that making them public is essential fortransparency.Thislackof disclosure can lead to a lack of accountability and arbitrary decision-making,” it said in the post. “The Indian government has issued executive orders requiring X to act on specific accounts and posts, subject to potential penalties including significant finesandimprisonment,”Xsaid. “In compliance with the orders, we will withhold these accounts and posts in India alone; however,wedisagreewiththese actions and maintain that CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Valinath Mahadev temple in Tarabh on Thursday. ANI Cong guilty of creating tussle between vikas and virasat: Modi at Mehsana PARIMAL DABHI TARABH (MEHSANA), FEBRUARY 22 TARGETING OPPOSITION Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that in postIndependence India, if anyone was "guilty of creating a tussle and enmity between vikas (development) and virasat (heritage), it was the Congress". Speaking at the consecration festival of a temple revered by the cattle-rearing community of Rabaris on Thursday at Tarabh village in Mehsana — during his day long-tour of Gujarat — Modi said that the Congress continues to live with negativity and is not readytoleavethepathof enmity even when a grand Ram Temple has been built in Ayodhya and the entire country is happy about it. Addressing a public function afterperformingpujaatValinath Mahadev temple,Modisaidthat a country can progress only by protecting its heritage. Valinath Dham is a major religious centre of Rabari(Maldhari)community in Gujarat. It has recently built a new temple of Valinath Mahadev, Lord Dattatreya and Goddess Hinglaj. At Mehsana, Modi inaugurated projects worth Rs 13,000 crore,includingtheGujaratFibre Grid Network that spreads into 35,264 km, covering 8,030 gram panchayats. "In the last two decades, along with development, we have also worked for the CONTINUEDONPAGE2 Jadavpur univ ragging death and father’s lonely battle for justice SWEETY KUMARI KOLKATA, FEBRUARY 22 CLUTCHING A cellphone, its shattered screen lighting up occasionallytorevealhisson’sphotograph, and a bag of case documents, the 56-year-old walks into the courtroom of the Calcutta High Court. He doesn’t sitonanyof thebenches,instead shuffles along to the far end, within earshot of the judges, craning his neck to listen every time the Bench passes on a direction to the lawyers. Six months after his 17-yearold son died by suicide at Jadavpur University after being allegedly ragged by seniors, he is a broken father, but is determined not to give up. “I can’t sleep properly, eat properly, my life is surrounded by lawyers, courts and papers. But I am not tired.IwillkeepcomingbackuntilIgetjustice,”hesays,hishands clasped and his eyes clouded with tears. What was the Jadavpur ragging case? On the night of August 9, 2023, the 17-year-old fell to his death from a balcony of one of the hostel buildings in Jadavpur University.Apoliceinvestigation revealedthatminutesearlier,the boy was “disrobed, bullied and abused with homosexual slurs”. Accordingtothepoliceinvestigation, around 9 pm on August 9, the boy was summoned from his room to another room on a floorof thehostelbuildingbyhis Illustration: Suvajit Dey seniors, who then asked him to walk down the corridor. While he was walking, he was allegedly disrobed. In a bid to escape, the boy had run from one room to the other and tried to lock himself in one of these, but couldn’t as his seniors chased him. This continued until 11 pm. According to the investigators, the boy fell from a balcony of the building around 11.45 pm. The Kolkata Police arrested 12 accused, six of them students at the university and the others former students who had continued to occupy the hostels. Police filed a case and charged the 12 accused under sections of the Protection of Children from SexualOffencesAct(POCSO)and Section 305 of the IPC related to abetment to suicide of a minor, among other charges. “We have evidence that he was sexually abused, forced to strip and the charges have been framed accordingly,” a police officer said. ‘My wife is mentally broken’ On February 19 this year, the High Court assembled to hear a bail petition filed by one of the accused. But with the court pointing out that the accused cannot be released on bail when the investigation is at a preliminary stage, the defence side withdrew the application. Minutes after the hearing concluded, the 56-year-old, wearing a stained T-shirt and trousers, sat down at a roadside CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Ahmedabad