DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE DECISION 2024 `5.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 OVER 45.10 CRORE VOTES POLLED: EC Gap closes, overall voter turnout in first four phases reaches 66.95% Barring5redrawnAssamseats,turnoutin374of 379seatswhichhavevotedsofarwas68.5%in2019 ● BothseatsNaveen Patnaikinthefrayfrom havesameconcern:jobs ● Himanta’s infiltration claim on campaign trail stirs row ● We are and will be part of INDIA at national level: Mamata KEYPLAYERS Pitted against Omar, Sajad Lone makes presence felt PAGES 10, 11 DAMINI NATH NEW DELHI, MAY 16 BOOSTED BY the increase in voterturnoutinthefourthphase on May 13, the overall turnout in the first four phases of the Lok Sabha elections has touched 66.95 per cent with over 45.10 crore votes being polled, the Election Commission said on Thursday. In 2019, 374 of the 379 constituencies that have gone to polls so far (five constituencies redrawn and renamed during delimitation in Assam not included) had recorded around 68.5 per cent polling, while the total turnout was 67.4 per cent. This time, the first three phases saw a dip in turnout as compared to 2019. In the first phase on April 19, when 102 constituencies went to polls, the final turnout was 66.14 per cent, down from around 69.29 per centin2019.Inthesecondphase on April 26, in which 88 seats POLLING IN FIRST FOUR PHASES Phase 2024 turnout First (April 19) 2019 turnout 66.14% 69.29%** Second (April 26) 66.71% 69.43%*** Third (May 7) 65.68% 66.58% Fourth (May 13) 69.16% * 68.80% * Provisional figure ** Does not include Kaziranga and Sonitpur in Assam *** Does not include Darrang-Udalguri, Diphu and Nagaon in Assam Kejriwal aide booked for assault after Swati Maliwal files police complaint voted, the final turnout was 66.71 per cent,down from 69.43 per cent in 2019. In the third phase on May 7, across 93 constituencies,thefinalturnoutwas 65.68 per cent as compared to 66.58 per cent in 2019. But the fourth phase on May 13,across96seats,sawincreased polling in Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, MaharashtraandTelanganaconstituenciesascomparedto2019. In J&K, which had one CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY Was repeatedly slapped, hit on body at CM house, officer quotes her saying THE ‘NEW ERA’ ANNOUNCEMENT Chinese President Xi Jinping with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Thursday. The two leaders pledged a “new era” of partnership. AP REPORTS,PAGES12,13 A Delhi Police team was at AAP MP Swati Maliwal’s residence for five hours on Thursday. Abhinav Saha EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, MAY 16 THREE DAYS after AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal alleged in a call to the police control room that she was assaulted when she went to visit Delhi Chief MinisterArvindKejriwalat his residence, the Delhi Police ThursdaybookedKejriwal’saide Bibhav Kumar in connection with the case. The FIR against Kumar has beenfiledunderIPCsections354 (assault or use of criminal force on woman with intent to dis- GUJARAT Maliwal has named CM aide Bibhav Kumar robe), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt). On Thursday night, Maliwal was taken to AIIMS for a medical check-up. InasocialmediapostinHindi, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 NEW DELHI, MAY 16 PAGE 3 LALMANI VERMA NEW DELHI, MAY 16 ADDRESSING A series of rallies across constituencies in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday said thathealongwithUttarPradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath would change the face and future of the Purvanchal region in the next five years. “Aane wale paanch saalon mein, Modi, Yogi Purvanchal ki tasveer aur taqdeer donon badalnewalehain(Inthecoming five years, Modi, Yogi are going Narendra Modi with Yogi Adityanath in Azamgarh. PTI to change the face and future of Purvanchal),”Modisaidatapublic meeting in Jaunpur, adjacent to his Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi. His statement came days after Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal's claim that Modi would not be the PM for long even if the BJP wins, and thatthedaysof AdityanathasUP CM were numbered. BJP leaders have rubbished Kejriwal's remarks, insisting Modi will “be PM even in 2029”. Modi, who also addressed rallies in the Lalganj Lok Sabha CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Time allotted, but DD & AIR censor speeches of Opposition leaders Yechury & Devarajan LIZ MATHEW POICHA DROWNING: SIX BODIES FOUND, SEARCH ON FOR LAST VADODARA MAN LOSES Rs 94.18 L, 17 ARRESTED MAN SLEEPING ON FOOTPATH IN UNA RUN OVER BY CAR PM in UP: Modi, Yogi will change face of Purvanchal in five years TWO OPPOSITION leaders were asked to drop the terms “communal authoritarian regime” and “draconian laws” and the word “Muslims” from their speeches made on All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) during the broadcast time allocated for them in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections. While CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury had to delete the two terms and replace the word “bankruptcy” of the governance with “failure” during his televised address in the DD studio in the national capital, All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) leader G Devarajan was asked to avoid the word “Muslims” in his address recorded in Kolkata. When asked about it, an official in Prasar Bharati said both DD and AIR follow the “conduct rules” given by the Election Commissionof India(ECI).“Butit happens with most leaders. There were instances in which even the chief ministers’ texts werecorrected,”theofficial said. Under ECI guidelines, repre- CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury, AIFB’s G Devarajan sentativesof nationalpartiesand thestatepartiesareallottedtelecast and broadcast time on DD andAIRintherun-uptotheelection.InAprilfirstweek,anECIdirective said “six national parties and 59 state parties” were eligibleforthetelecastandbroadcast facility under the provisions of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. When contacted, Yechury told The Indian Express, “Strangely,theydidnotfindanythingwrongin theHindiversion of my address which was just a translation of the original English one. But the English version was modified according to their suggestion, under protest.” Devarajan,onhis part, said,“I had a line referring to the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Caste threatens social aspects and divides communities, says Fadnavis P 11 THE EXPRESS INTERVIEW DEVENDRA FADNAVIS MAHARASHTRA DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER SHUBHANGI KHAPRE, VALLABH OZARKAR & SANDEEP SINGH MUMBAI, MAY 16 THECASTEpolarisationbetween the Marathas and the OBCs (Other Backward Class) in the Marathwada region, so evident during the 2024 LokSabhapolls, is detrimental to the state’s social fabric, said BJP leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. “The most disturbing aspect in the ongoing elections has been the casteconflict in partsof Marathwada.Suchdevelopment does not augur well for the state. My worry is post-polls. Once the elections are held, it will set in process an analysis on who worked for whom. It would require greater vigilance in terms of law and order,” Fadnavis told The Indian Express and Loksatta during an interaction on Thursday. “When it comes to politics, we can tackle it. But when there are issues threatening social aspects, it becomes a cause of serious concern. It is not about polls CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 After Shah remark on Kejriwal bail, SC says no exception, criticism welcome Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow on Thursday. Vishal Srivastav ANANTHAKRISHNAN G NEW DELHI, MAY 16 AMID CLAIMS and counterclaims by lawyers for the Enforcement Directorate and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, the Supreme Court said Thursday that it had not made “any exception”whilegrantinghiminterim bailuntilJune1fortheLokSabha election campaign. It also said that “critical analysis or even criticismof thejudgment”inthis regard was “welcome”. It made these remarks a day after UnionHomeMinister Amit Shah told news agency ANI that grant of interim bail to Kejriwal, arrested by the ED on March 21 in the Delhi excise policy case, was “not a routine and normal judgment” and “many people in the country” believe that he had been given “special treatment”. Countering ED claims before the bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, SeniorAdvocateAbhishekManu Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, did not name Shah but referred to the remarks of “a top minister of this government”. Justice Khanna, heading the two-judge bench hearing Kejriwal’spetitionagainsthisarrestbytheED,said,“Asfarascritical analysis or even criticism of the judgment, it is welcome. There is no difficulty. You may have different viewpoints, we have no difficulty with that.” The bench said this when Singhvi countered Solicitor General Tushar Mehta – he was representing the ED – took “exception” to Kejriwal’s reported remark that he will not have to return to jail on June 2 if people vote for the AAP. Referring to Kejriwal’s remark, Mehta told the bench: “They (people) say that I will havetogobacktojailin20days”. JusticeDattasaid,“Thatisour order.” Mehta continued: “If you votefor thebroom(AAP election symbol), then I will not have to go to jail.” To this, Justice Khanna said, “Thatisanassumption…Ourorder is very clear.” Mehta said, “This is a slap on the system. That if you vote for me, then I will not have to go to jailonthe2nd(of June).Howcan that happen?” Justice Khanna said it was “thedirectionof thecourtwhich CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 SC: ED cannot make PMLA arrest after cognisance, will need special court nod EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, MAY 16 THE SUPREME Court ruled Thursday that the Enforcement Directoratecannotdirectlyarrest apersonunderthePreventionof Money Laundering Act (PMLA) once a special court takes cognisance of its complaint and the agencywillhavetoapproachthe court if it wants custody of that person. The bench of Justices A S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, which was hearing Tarsem Lal vs Directorate of Enforcement, Jalandhar Zonal Office, said, “After cognisance is taken of the offence punishable under Section 4 of the PMLA based on a complaint under Section 44, theEDanditsofficersarepowerless to exercise powers under Section 19 to arrest a person shown as accused in the complaint.If theEDwantscustodyof the accused who appears after serviceof summonsforconducting further investigation in the E E X P L A I NE D FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024, AHMEDABAD, LATE CITY, 16 PAGES The relief this ruling ● provides THE SUPREME Court’s ruling extends protection against arrest by the ED when an accused is actively participating in the investigation without being evasive. The relief is significant as the bar for grant of bail, once arrested, is very high in ED cases. same offence, ED will have to seek custody of the accused by applying to the special court.” “If the accused appears before the special court pursuant to a summons, he shall not be treated as if he is in custody. Therefore, it is not necessary for him to apply for bail. However, the special court can direct the accused to furnish bonds in CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Mumbai hoarding tragedy: A son’s call from US led to parents’ bodies PAGE 1 ANCHOR SAGAR RAJPUT & SIDDHANT KONDUSKAR MUMBAI, MAY 16 IT WAS meant to be a quick stop at a Mumbai petrol pump around 4.30pmon May 13 torefuel their car before driving back home to Madhya Pradesh. However, gusty winds knocked down a 250-tonne hoarding at that exact moment on top of the couple’s red sports utility vehi- cle at the fuel station in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar. Late on Wednesday, nearly 50 hours later, the bodies of retired Air Traffic Control (ATC) general manager Manoj Chansoria,60,andhiswifeAnita, 59, were recovered from the car. The time and cause of their deaths are yet to be determined. The hoarding crash has claimed 16 lives so far. On Thursday, Bhavesh PrabhudasBhinde,51,theowner of the hoarding that crashed, was arrested by the Crime Branch from Udaipur. The Ghatkopar hoarding, situated beside a petrol pump in Pant Nagar on Eastern Express Highway, measured 120x120 feetasagainstthepermittedsize of 40x40 feet. Bhinde, the director of Ego Media Pvt Ltd, was booked in a rape case by Mumbai Police earlier this year. According to his colleagues, the couple was in Mumbai for paperwork related to their visa sotheycouldvisittheirson,Yash, who lives in the United States. Officials said the couple’s son had not been able to reach them since Monday afternoon. “Their son had been trying to contact them since 5 pm on May 13. Victims Manoj Chansoria, a retired Air Traffic Control (ATC) general manager, and his wife Anita. Express Unable to reach Manoj and with Anita not answering her phone, he contacted his father’s colleagues for help,” a former colleague told The Indian Express. Chansoria had been stationed in Mumbai for nearly a year before his retirement, the colleaguesaid,addingthat some of them went to the Marol guest house where the couple had been staying to check on them but in vain. Following a request by their son, Chansoria’s former colleagues sought assistance from the Mumbai Police to locate the couple. With helpof mobile net- workdata,thepolicetracedtheir last location to Ghatkopar, adjacent to the Eastern Express Highway. As soon as they learnt about theirlastlocation,colleaguesand friends reached the crash site in Ghatkopar. After hours of waiting, on Wednesday afternoon, their bodies were located inside their car, which was trapped beneath the girder. “As soon as he realised that his parents were missing on Monday, their son boarded a flight from the United States. Their final rites were conducted at a crematorium in Sahar on Thursday,” a family friend said, adding that Chansoria, who retired on March 31, is related to actor Kartik Aaryan. ChansoriajoinedtheAirports Authority of India as a senior manager in 1996. During the course of his service, he worked as airport director in Indore and Amritsar, before being transferred to New Delhi as general manager. In April 2023, he came to Mumbai as general manager, air traffic management. While 14 bodies were recovered in less than 24 hours of the crash, a senior Mumbai Fire CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Ahmedabad