DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024, NEW DELHI, LATE CITY, 20 PAGES FIR LODGED AFTER OFFICERS MEET AAP MP OVER 45.10 CRORE VOTES POLLED: EC Kejriwal aide booked for assault after Maliwal files police complaint Gap closes, overall turnout in first four phases is 66.95% POLLING IN FIRST FOUR PHASES 2024 turnout 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% Was repeatedly slapped, hit on body at CM house on May 13, officer quotes her saying * Provisional figure ** Does not include Kaziranga and Sonitpur in Assam *** Does not include Darrang-Udalguri, Diphu and Nagaon in Assam 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 voted, the final turnout was 66.71 per cent,downfrom69.43 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, MaharashtraandTelanganaconstituenciesascomparedto 2019. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 DECISION 2024 ● Himanta’s infiltration claim on campaign trail stirs row back home ● We are and will be part of INDIA at national level, says Mamata ●BothseatsNaveen Patnaikinthefrayfrom havesameconcern:jobs KEYPLAYERS Pitted against Omar, Sajad Lone makes presence felt PAGES 6, 7 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,PAGES12,14 After Shah remark on Kejriwal interim bail, SC says made no exception, criticism welcome 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 afterUnionHomeMinisterAmit Shah told news agency ANI that grant of interim bail to Kejriwal, arrested by the ED on March 21 BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY PM in UP: Modi, Yogi will change face of Purvanchal in 5 years NEW DELHI, MAY 16 ADDRESSING A series of rallies across constituencies in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday said that he alongwith UttarPradesh 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 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 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 the country” believe that he had been given “special treatment”. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Caste threatens social aspects and divides communities: Fadnavis P7 MUMBAI, MAY 16 PAGE 9 LALMANI VERMA in the Delhi excise policy case, was “not a routine and normal judgment” and “many people in SHUBHANGI KHAPRE, VALLABH OZARKAR & SANDEEP SINGH EXPRESS NETWORK 11 DEATHSIN 5 DAYS OF CHAR DHAM YATRA Narendra Modi with Yogi Adityanath in Azamgarh. PTI Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow on Thursday. Vishal Srivastav REPORT,PAGE5 THECASTEpolarisationbetween the Marathas and the OBCs (Other Backward Class) in the Marathwada region, so evident during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, is detrimental to the state’s social fabric, said BJP leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. “The most disturbing aspect THE EXPRESS INTERVIEW DEVENDRA FADNAVIS MAHARASHTRA DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER in the ongoing elections has been the casteconflict in parts of CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Time allotted, but DD & AIR censor speeches of Opp’s Yechury, Devarajan LIZ MATHEW NEW DELHI, MAY 16 TWO LEADERS from the Opposition were asked to drop the terms “communal authoritarian regime” and “draconian laws” and the word “Muslims” from their speeches made on All India Radio and Doordarshan during the broadcast time allocated to them in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections. While CPI(M) General CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury, AIFB’s G Devarajan 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 Doordarshan studio in the national capital, All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) leader G Devarajanwasaskedtoavoidthe word “Muslims” in his address recorded in Kolkata. When asked about it, an official in Prasar Bharati said both Doordarshan and All India Radio follow the “conduct rules” given by the Election Commission of India (ECI). “But it happens with CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Mumbai hoarding tragedy: How a son’s phone call from US led to location of 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 4.30 pm on May 13to refuel 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 Victims Manoj Chansoria, a retired Air Traffic Control (ATC) general manager, and his wife Anita. Express 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 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 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 disrobe), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 323 (voluntar- A Delhi Police team was at AAP MP Swati Maliwal’s residence for five hours on Thursday. Abhinav Saha Maliwal has named CM aide Bibhav Kumar ily causing hurt). On Thursday night, Maliwal was taken to AIIMS for a medical check-up. In a social media post in Hindi, Maliwal wrote, “What happened to me was very bad. I have given my statement to the police. I hope appropriate action will be taken. The last few days have been very difficult for me. I thank those who prayed for me. Those who tried to carry out characterassassination,whosaid I was doing it on the instructions CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ED can’t make PMLA arrest after cognisance, needs court nod: SC 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, E E X P L A I NE D Phase First (April 19) `7.00 (`8 BIHAR & RAIPUR, `12 SRINAGAR) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 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. 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 same offence, ED will have to seek custody of the accused by applying to the special court.” “If the accused appears CONTINUED ON PAGE 2