DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2024, AHMEDABAD, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES `5.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 NEXT HEARING ON JULY 22 ReportNEET-UGresults city-wise,centre-wise, SCtellstestingagency BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY Court sets July 20, 12 noon deadline, tells NTA to mask students’ identities ANANTHAKRISHNAN G NEW DELHI, JULY 18 SURYA KUMAR YADAV APPOINTED T20 CAPTAIN FOR LANKA SERIES PAGE 18 TRAIN DERAILS IN UP, 3 KILLED Three persons were killed when the Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express derailed near Gonda in Uttar Pradesh Thursday. PTI P13 Day after Assam cops MUZAFFARNAGAR POLICE ORDER ON KANWAR ROUTE EATERIES say 3 militants killed, Allies, BJP’s Naqvi question order, it families cite video to say saywill hurt social harmonyrights’ Police ‘voluntary’; BJP says ‘gives Hindus equal claim fake encounter SUKRITA BARUAH GUWAHATI, JULY 18 THEFAMILIESof threemen,who were accused of being Hmar militants and were killed by the Assam police on Wednesday morning, have raised questions on the circumstances surrounding their death, citing a video which purportedly shows them being apprehended from an autorickshaw a day earlier. In a social media post on Wednesday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote, “In an early morning op- eration,Cacharpolicekilledthree Hmar militants from Assam and neighbouring Manipur. Police also recovered two AK rifles, one other rifle, and one pistol.” Cachar borders Manipur’s Jiribam district, which has been on the boil since last month. The Hmar community is part of the Kuki-Zo ethnic group, which is in conflict with Meiteis in the state. There is also a Hmar population in Cachar, and a large number of Kuki-Zo people, including Hmars, who have been displaced from Jiribam, are currently taking shelter in Cachar. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 35 IN HOSPITAL WITH SYMPTOMS 20 suspected Chandipura virus deaths in Gujarat, CM reviews situation ADITI RAJA & RITU SHARMA VADODARA, AHMEDABAD, JULY 18 THE TOLL in suspected cases of Chandipura Viral Encephalitis (CHPV) rose to 20 in Gujarat on Thursday, including two deaths reported from Ahmedabad city, evenas35peopleshowingsymptomsofCHPVareadmittedatvariouscivilhospitalsacrossdistricts. While accordingto an expert from the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, who did not wish to be identified, only twoof the18samplessentbythe Gujarat government for testing have turned out to be confirmed cases of CHPV, the district health officers have till now reported the deaths of 20 patients with suspected CHPV. Areviewmeetingundertaken by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patelwithdistrict healthofficials on Thursday discussed the pre- cautions that are to be taken to curb the spread of the virus. Among the patients who died of suspected CHPV are two children from Panchmahal district, including a four-year-old girl from Kotda village who succumbed at SSG Hospital in Vadodara on Wednesday. The death of an eight-year-old boy from Ghoghambha at a private hospital earlierin the monthhas also been added to the toll. Health officials said that among the 35 patients with suspected CHPV admitted in civil hospitals, three are under treatmentatthepediatricdepartment of SSG Hospital in Vadodara. The Medical Superintendent of SSG Hospital, Dr Ranjan Aiyer, said oneof thepatientsisadmittedto the pediatric ICU and in a critical condition. In Panchmahal, the district health department has collected samplesofsandfliesfromGhoghambha to get them tested at NIV CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 VIKAS PATHAK & NEETIKA JHA NEW DELHI, JULY 18 BJP ALLIES JD(U) and RLD and seniorBJPleaderMukhtarAbbas Naqvi joined Opposition parties Thursdayinquestioninganorder by the police in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, directing that shops and carts falling on the Kanwar Yatra route display the names of their owners. After the order, which followed demands on these lines by the local BJP MLA and a prominent Hindu seer, drew criticism,theMuzaffarnagar police issued a fresh advisory Thursday saying that shopown- JD(U)’s K C Tyagi, BJP’s Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi ers could display their names and those of their employees “of their own will”. The BJP, however, defended the police order, saying it allows fastingHinduswhomaywantto eat at a pure vegetarian restaurant, “where the likelihood of them being served Satvik food is higher”, a choice. Speaking to The Indian Express, JD(U) leader K C Tyagi said the Kanwar Yatra was taken out in several places across the country, including Bihar, UP and Rajasthan.“Therehasneverbeen any communal flare-up. If there are any anti-social elements, the police are competent to tackle them. If we demarcate on a religious level, communal harmony will suffer,” Tyagi said. He added: “Across the westernUPbeltfromwheretheYatra passes, there are places where 30-40% of the population is Muslim.Muslimartisansarealso involved in making the kanwars which the pilgrims carry, and in CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CBI will need consent for inquiry against state officials, says MP Govt Delhi Minister to Chief Secy: Give details of landowners in area where trees were felled ANAND MOHAN J MALLICA JOSHI & JATIN ANAND BHOPAL, JULY 18 THE BJP Government in Madhya Pradesh, led by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, on Thursday said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) would require its written consent for initiating any inquiry against state government officials. The CBI is governed by The Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946. Section 6 of the DSPE Act (on “consent of state government to exercise of powers and jurisdiction”)states:“Nothingcontained in Section 5 (on “extension of powers and jurisdiction of specialpoliceestablishmenttoother areas”) shall be deemed to enable any member of the Delhi Special Police Establishment to exercise powers and jurisdiction CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 NEW DELHI, JULY 18 CITING ALLEGATIONS that the alignment of the road from Chhatarpur to the SAARC University campus and the Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences (CAPFIMS)wasdesignedto“protect interests” of certain farmhouse owners, Delhi Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj has asked the Chief Secretarytoprovidedetailsof the landowners in the area on both sides of the road within a week. The project to construct the road has claimed hundreds of treeswithouttakingtherequisite permissions. A matter of contempt is being heard by the SupremeCourt,whichhascome down on the Lt Governor V K Saxena, the Delhi Development Delhi Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj Authority as well as the Delhi governmentforlapses.Thecourt hasalsoallegedthatDDAandofficialsfromdifferentgovernment departmentshavebeentryingto coverupthetruthaboutwhoordered the trees to be cut. The letter, written on Tuesday, includes the alignment mappassedbyUTTIPEC(Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering)Centre)fortheroad project. Bharadwaj has alleged that the approved alignment was changed to benefit a few property holders. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE SUPREME Court Thursday asked the National Testing Agency (NTA) to publish citywise and centre-wise NEET-UG 2024 examination results of all 23 lakh candidates, masking their identities, on its website by 12 pm Saturday. “We direct the NTA to publish the marks obtained by students at the UG-2024 NEET examination, while, at the same time, without disclosing the identity of the students. The result should be declared city and centre-wise by 12 noon on 20 July 2024 and shall be uploaded on the website of the NTA,” a three-judge bench presided by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud ordered. The bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj E E X P L A I NE D SPORT ● Rising Numbers THE NEET-UG was conducted at 4,750 exam centres in 571 cities, including 14 cities abroad. In 2023, 4,097 centres in 499 cities were designated to conduct the test; in 2022, there were 3,547 centres in 497 cities. The rationale for the increase in centres was to ensure more coverage of rural areas. Misra also questioned the Centre’s stand that the alleged leak of question papers in Hazaribagh had occurred just one hour before the start of the exam, and termed it far-fetched. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CBI detains 4 students from AIIMS-Patna SANTOSH SINGH PATNA, JULY 18 THE CBI has detained four MBBS students from AIIMS Patna in connectionwiththeallegedleak of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) question paper. “The CBI had shared phone numbers and photographs of someof ourstudents.Theagency thentooktheMBBSstudentsunder detention,” said Gopal KrishnaPal,executivedirectorof AIIMSPatna.Hesaidthestudents were cooperating with the CBI. Police sources said the four students were suspected of having been engaged by the alleged paper leak kingpin Sanjeev Mukhiya’s gang to solve the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 In Tamil Nadu, CM Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi to be Deputy CM ARUN JANARDHANAN CHENNAI, JULY 18 UDHAYANIDHI STALIN, Tamil Nadu’sYouthWelfareandSports Development Minister and son of Chief MinisterMKStalin,isset to be elevated as the Deputy Chief Minister before August 22, according to top sources in the DMKgovernment.Thiselevation mirrors that of his father, who became Deputy CM after the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. Udhayanidhi pushed for the promotion to gain “wider acceptance” within the government and to lighten the load on his father, it is learnt. A senior DMK source confirmed that Udhayanidhi’s elevation is certain and will likely Udhayanidhi is likely to get new role before Stalin leaves for the US on August 22 take place before CM Stalin’s scheduled trip to the United States on August 22. The primary motive is to reduce the Chief Minister’s workload, facilitating smoother governance. “This move will help groomUdhayanidhibytakingon significant responsibilities,” a senior minister said, citing the needtoprepareforthedemanding 2026 Assembly polls. Despitemixedopinionsinthe state’s political circles about Udhayanidhi’s political commitment,aseniorministerdismissed doubts,assertingthatthepostwas not imposed but requested by Udhayanidhi himself. “If he was a reluctant politician, he wouldn’t have asked for a heavier post. These rumors stem from his youth and celebrity status,” the minister said. The deputy CM role will also enable Udhayanidhi to play a more prominent part in the 2026 election campaigns. The elevation coincides with apendingcabinetreshufflebased onministerialperformance.“The CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 INDIA-BANGLA KIDNEY RACKET: ACCUSED FURNISHES NEW DETAILS Another Apollo doctor, clearance committee under police scanner MAHENDER SINGH MANRAL & KAUNAIN SHERIFF M NEW DELHI, JULY 18 THE DELHI Police probe into an organ transplantation racket across Bangladesh and India, in whichadoctorfromDelhi-based Indraprastha Apollo Hospital was arrested earlier this month, has now expanded in its scope to look at the alleged role of another top transplant surgeon at the same hospital, The Indian Express has learnt. The Delhi police had arrested Dr Vijaya Kumari for her alleged involvement in a network where Bangladeshi nationals were brought to her for transplants via medicaltourismchannels.Oneof the accused, during questioning, has told police that some of the foreignpatientswerealsoreferred to Kumari’s senior colleague. This disclosure has set in motion two lines of inquiry, sources said.Policehavesought“comprehensive details” of all kidney transplantsinvolvingBangladeshi nationals conducted at Apollo Hospital in Delhi and Noida, as well as at Yatharth Hospital in Noida — where Kumari also worked. Investigators have also turned to the government-appointed authorisation committee, the body that ultimately approves kidney transplants, for detailsonthepanelandtheirapprovals and if they had flagged any irregularities. “The accused will claim they had the necessary approvals so we will CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Bengaluru mall denies entry to farmer in dhoti, admits ‘mistake’ after outrage As the incident snowballed, the civic body shut the complex saying it owes Rs 1.78 crore in property tax PAGE 1 ANCHOR KIRANPARASHAR BENGALURU, JULY 18 CIVICAUTHORITIESinBengaluru decided Thursday to seal a mall over property tax dues, two days after an elderly farmer was deniedentryintotheshopping-cinemacomplexbecausehewasina dhoti. The incident involving Fakirappa, a 62-year-old farmer from Haveri district visiting his son in Bengaluru, at GT World Mallledtooutrageanddemands for action against the mall. As the incident snowballed, with the matter figuring in the Assembly Thursday, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) took action against the mall, which is located on Magadi main road, saying it owes Rs 1.78 crore in property tax. A BBMP officer said the mall had failed to pay property tax for the year 2023-24. “A notice was issued earlier but since the payment has not been received yet, wedecided to shutthe mall,”the officer said. Later in the evening, FakirappatoldTheIndianExpress, “Ithankthemediaforstandingby me and farmers. I never thought Iwouldgetsuchsupportfromthe public, government and media. I amhappythateveryonestoodby me. This is a lesson for the malls thatnobodyshouldbedeniedentry over attire.” Narratingtheincidentearlier, Fakirappahadsaidhetravelledto Bengaluru to meet his son Nagaraj, an MBA graduate who worksintheKannadafilmindustry as a technician. On Tuesday, Nagaraj took his parents to the mall for a movie around6pm.Astheywereabout toenterthemall,thesecuritystaff stopped Fakirappa, saying dhoticlad men are not allowed inside. Despite repeated pleas from Nagaraj and Fakirappa, the secu- Fakirappa (left), a farmer, was stopped at the G T World Mall on Tuesday ritysupervisordidnotrelent,saying even women wearing nighties would not be allowed inside. Hesaidnomallwouldallowpeople in such attire. On Wednesday, Fakirappa said, “I am a farmer and have travelled a long distance to see my son. He took us to the mall. I was denied entry for wearing a dhoti. I told my son to return home, but he questioned such rules. I had never come across such an incident.” Nagaraj said, “I asked the securitystaffforthereasonandwas toldthatmyfatherwaswearinga dhoti and that is why he was stopped.Ispokewithafriendbut they did not allow us in for 30 minutes.ThenIcalledmyfriends and after the media arrived, they let us go inside when we were about to leave.” A video of the father and son pleadingwiththemallsecurityto let them in started doing the rounds on social media, drawing severe criticism. A mall employee, who did not want to be named, told The Indian Express that although thereisnowritteninstructionon dress code, they had an oral instruction to not allow people in “dirty clothes”. On Thursday, Prashanth, owner of GT World Mall, told The Indian Express: “I am taking the total responsibility for the mistake that has happened from our end.” Confirmingthattheyreceived notices over the dues, he said, “The BBMP has sought explanation... We are closing down the mallfromtoday(Thursday)even beforegettingasealingnotice.We have already spoken to all the shops and multiplexes in the mall.Wewillopenaftertheissue gets cleared.” Incidentally, the controversy over local attire comes amid effortsbytheCongress-ledgovernment in Karnataka to promote Kannada and domicile interests, thelatestaBillforjobquotainprivatesectorfor“localcandidates”. Earlier on Thursday, the issue came up in the Assembly with Speaker U T Khader saying the government should take action against the mall. “I saw the episode in the media. A villager comes to Bengaluru and his son hastakenhimtothemalltomake himhappy.Theentrydeniedover traditionaldressofthestateisunacceptable. No matter who the owner is, action should be initiated and condemn the incident. This incident must be a lesson to other malls,” he said. LeaderofOppositionRAshoka said similar incidents have been discussed many times in the House but nothing has yielded. “I remember a committee was formedheadedbyCongressMLA NAHarisandhehadsubmitteda report. But it has not been implemented yet,” he said. State Urban Development and Town Planning Minister Byrathi Suresh said on behalf of the government that they condemn the incident and will close the mall for seven days. InFebruarythisyear,security staff at a Metro station here deniedamanentrycitinghis“dirty clothes”.Inavideothatcirculated on social media, the man was seen wearing a white shirt and carrying a bundle of clothes on hishead.Thesecurityofficerwas suspended after the video triggered outrage. Ahmedabad