DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA THE WORLD 274 KILLED IN WAVE OF ISRAELI STRIKES ON LEBANON PAGE 10 SETS ASIDE MADRAS HC ORDER Viewing child porn punishable under POCSO, IT laws, says SC Possession also punishable even if no dissemination: Bench headed by CJI ANANTHAKRISHNAN G NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 23 EXPRESS NETWORK LAAPATAA LADIES IS INDIA’S ENTRY FOR OSCARS PAGE 4 Info on EY employee’s death sought, report in 10 days: Minister AANCHAL MAGAZINE NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 23 THE CENTRE is looking into the recent incident involving the death of a young employee of Ernst & Young (EY) India, Anna SebastianPerayil,andhassought information from state authorities, Union Minister of Labour and Employment Mansukh MandaviyasaidMonday.Thereport is expected to be submitted in the next 7-10 days, following which the government will take action, he said. “Wewillhavetostudytheresults of the report. We have already sought information from the state officers.We’llbe ableto tell more about it when the report comes,” Mandaviya told reporters. Whenaskedaboutlastweek’s statementbyMinisterofStatefor LabourandEmploymentShobha CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 IN A ruling that sets a new benchmarkforactioninpornography cases, the Supreme Court Monday held that viewing, possessing and not reporting possession of any child pornographic material will constitute offences under the stringent Protection of Children from SexualOffences(POCSO)Actand the Information Technology (IT) Act even if this is not disseminated further. “We are of the considered view that wherever a person indulges in any activity such as viewing, distributing or displaying etc. pertaining to any child pornographic material without actually possessing or storing it in any device or in any form or manner, such act would still be tantamount to ‘possession’ in E Delhi Chief Minister Atishi leaves her predecessor Arvind Kejriwal’s chair empty, underlining that it “belongs to him and would remain... waiting for him”, on Monday. Praveen Khanna Notmere ● storage GAYATHRI MANI NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 23 termsof Section15of thePOCSO Act,if heexercised…variabledegree of control over such material…” the ruling said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 TAKING CHARGE as the Delhi Chief MinisteronMonday,Atishi placed a chair next to hers as she likened her predecessor Arvind Kejriwal to Lord Ram. She said she would run the government for four months, just like Bharat did by placing Lord Ram’s sandals on the throne for 14 years. This was the latest in a series of instances when the Aam Aadmi Party invoked Lord Ram and Ramayana to draw parallels withitsleadersandgovernment. “Today I have taken over as the Chief Minister of Delhi... I have the same pain in my heart as Bharat had when Lord Shri RamwenttoexilefromAyodhya for 14 years and Bharat had to take over the governance of Ayodhya. Just as Bharat ruled Ayodhya by keeping Lord Shri Ram’s ‘khadaun’ for 14 years, in thesamewayIwillruntheDelhi government for the next 4 months,” Atishi said in a video address after taking charge. While the Delhi Assembly polls are expected in less than five months, the AAP’s repeated references to the Ramayana NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 23 NEARLY HALF the sanctioned posts in the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committeesin Union Territories (PCCs) across the country are lying vacant. While 11 states have over 60% vacancies, Sikkim tops the list with all posts yet to be filled. TheCentralPollutionControl Board (CPCB) submitted these details in an affidavit to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on September 6. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 STATES WITH OVER 60% VACANCIES STATES SANCTIONED Sikkim Jharkhand Andhra Pradesh Madhya Pradesh Manipur Chhattisgarh Uttarakhand Haryana Gujarat Karnataka Rajasthan 11 271 291 1,228 119 328 130 450 430 723 808 Accused held for sexual assault of minors killed; Govt says self-defence MUMBAI, SEPTEMBER 23 A23-YEAR-OLDjanitor,whowas arrestedlast monthforallegedly sexually assaulting two fouryear-old girls at a school in Badlapur (Thane district), was killedin“retaliatoryfiring”when he snatched a police officer's service weapon and opened fire on Monday, police said. Police said the accused was beingtakeninavehiclewhenhe snatched Assistant Police Inspector Nilesh More's pistol and fired at the team escorting him, in a bid to escape from custody. According to police, the ac- PAGE 1 ANCHOR started earlier this year. The Delhi government’s BudgetwascalledtheRamRajya Budget.TheAAPanditsMLAsorganisedaseriesof “Sundarkand” and “Hanuman Chalisa” recital programmes every Tuesday ahead of the Ayodhya Ram Temple inauguration. On Sunday, during Kejriwal’s Janta ki Adalat gathering at Jantar Mantar, his 6-month stay in Tihar Jail was likened to Ram Vanvas. Even last week, when he announced hisresignation as Chief Minister, Kejriwal had referred CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Nearly half of all posts in pollution Citing ‘drug traffickers’, boards vacant, some for decades Delhi Police seeks to Over 60% vacancies in 11 states, 100% in Sikkim: CPCB to NGT raze ‘illegal’ structures AJOY SINHA KARPURAM cused fired three rounds, injuring More and two others. The incident reportedly occurredneartheMumbraBypass, in Thane district. The accused was being taken to Thane by a CrimeBranchSITsetuptoinvestigate an assault case filed by his former wife in 2021, a senior police officer told The Indian Express. Police said the accused left Taloja Jail, where he was lodged, at around 5.30 pm. The incident occurred “between 6-6.15 pm”, sources said. Police said API More sustainedabulletinjuryonhisthigh and was rushed to a hospital in CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 SUMMIT OF THE FUTURE Sita, Hanuman, Bharat, vacant Humanity’s success chair: For AAP, Ram the refrain lies in our collective strength, not in battlefield, says PM THE SC ruling is a strict interpretation of Section 15 of the POCSO Act which punishes storage of child pornography. Viewing child porn online without storing is also considered possession. Even when a link is sent to a person, watching it for a long period of time would be considered “constructive possession”, the SC said. VACANCIES 11 (100.00%) 198 (73.06%) 204 (70.10%) 783 (63.76%) 75 (63.02%) 204 (62.19%) 79 (60.76%) 273 (60.67%) 260 (60.46%) 437 (60.44%) 488 (60.39%) MAHENDER SINGH MANRAL NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 23 IN THE name of a crackdown on drug trafficking, the Delhi Police has employed a new strategy: it has zoomed in on 102 structures belonging to alleged drug traffickers,identifiedwhatitcallsviolations of building bylaws in thesestructuresandapproached the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to demolish them. This comes even as the Supreme Court earlier this month came down heavily on DEATHS IN CUSTODY, MAHARASHTRA, TAMIL NADU & UTTAR PRADESH VIJAY KUMAR YADAV `6.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 EXPLAINED BY UNNY POSTAL REGN. NO. JAIPUR CITY/001/2024-26 JOURNALISM OF COURAGE TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2024, JAIPUR, LATE CITY, 14 PAGES BUSINESS AS USUAL ● In TN, gangster killed day after arrest, police say he ‘opened fire’ At the encounter site in Unnao on Monday. PTI ACCUSED IN ROBBERY CASE KILLED IN U.P. THE UTTAR Pradesh Special Task Force gunned down a second accused, identified as Anuj Pratap Singh, in the Sultanpur jewellery store robbery case on Monday. Earlier this month, another accused, Mangesh Yadav, was killed in a police encounter, triggering a political row. PAGE5 ARUN JANARDHANAN ‘Seizing’ Raja, named in murder, extortion cases CHENNAI, SEPTEMBER 23 ‘SEIZING’RAJA,ahistory-sheeter involved in over 30 criminal cases, was shot dead in a police encounter early Monday morningonChennai’sEastCoastRoad. PolicesaidthatRaja,arrestedthe previous day from a hideout in Andhra Pradesh, was killed in self-defence when he allegedly attempted to attack officers. Rajahadlongbeenonthepolice’sradar,withcasesof murder, attempted murder, and extortion stacking up against him across Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.Policehavealsoinvesti- gated him in connection with the murder in July of BSP’s Tamil Nadu president K Armstrong, but clarified on Monday that they had no evidence linking him to the case. Startingoutasavehiclerepossession agent, which gave N Raja themoniker‘Seizing’Raja,hebecameakeyfigureinChennai’sunderworld and one of the most CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 the use of bulldozers to demolish propertyof accused, and said it would lay down pan-India guidelines on the matter. Sources said the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch identified 102 structures across the Capital – each of these belonging to alleged gang leaders and kingpins of drug trafficking – after which police personnel conducted spot visits to identify alleged violations of building bylaws. Police then prepared a report on the alleged violations and asked the MCD to demolish these structures. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Says reforms in global institutions are essential for peace and development SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 23 UNDERLININGTHATthe“success of humanity lies in our collective strength, not in the battlefield”, PrimeMinisterNarendraModion Mondaysaidreformsinglobalinstitutions are essential for global peace and development. Addressing the Summit of the Future at the United Nations in New York, Modi flagged “cyber,maritimeandspace”emerging as “new theatres of conflict”, apartfromterrorism.Hepitched for“globaldigitalgovernance”to ensurethatnationalsovereignty and integrity are upheld. “On behalf of India, the world’s largest democracy, and 1.4 billion Indians, greetings to all of you. In the largest election in human history, held recently in June, the people of India have given me the opportunity to serve them for the third consecutive term, and today, I bring the voice of this 1/6 of humanity to you,” he said. “When wearediscussingthe global future, we must accord the highest priority to a humancentric approach,” he said. “While prioritising sustainable development, we must also PM Narendra Modi with Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas in New York on Sunday. PTI INSIDE MODIMEETSABBAS: ‘DEEP CONCERN’ ON GAZASITUATION PMPITCHES INDIA GROWTHATMEETING WITHTECH CEOs PAGES 3, 11 ensure humanwelfare,foodand health security. By lifting 250 million people out of poverty in CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 As V-C inspection of girls’ hostel triggers protests, Punjab NLU shut DIVYA GOYAL GOPAL LUDHIANA, SEPTEMBER 23 THE RAJIV Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL) in Patiala was shut until further orders on Monday, a day after students began a protest demanding the Vice-Chancellor's resignationforallegedlyentering thegirls'hostelwithoutpriornotice, and making sexist remarks. Denying the allegations, V-C Jai Shankar Singh said he visited the girls' hostel to inspect and “identify students who smoke and drink alcohol after midnight”ashehadreceivedseveral complaints. The protests erupted Sunday evening — a couple of hours after Singh's surprise inspection around 3.30 pm — with the stu- Students protest outside the V-C’s residence at Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala, Monday. Express dentsstagingadharnaoutsidethe V-C's residence on the campus. In a representation to the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, the ex-officioChancellorof RGNUL,thestu- dents alleged that during the inspection, Singh entered the rooms of some girls despite the rule that no man is allowed inside, even if accompanied by CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Amid cadaver shortage, why a campaign by PGIMER holds out hope PARUL & ANKITA UPADHYAY CHANDIGARH, NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 23 JUST OUTSIDE the anatomy department of PGIMER, Chandigarh, a wall is lined with photographs of people who donated their bodies for medical research. Among them is Ajmer Singh, a former Olympian, and Rama Bhanot, the mother of Neerja Bhanot, the air hostess who saved passengers from hijackers on a Pan Am flight in 1986andwasshotdead.Doctors call it a “memory lane” to honour everyday people who decided to forego funerary rites so that doctors could use their cadavers, train better and save more lives. Seeing this, last year, on his 77th birthday, Professor Dina Nath Jauhar, former ViceChancellor of Agra-based Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University, his wife, brother and friend pledged their bodies for research. “It is the best gift I could givemyself,givebacktosociety,” Prof Jauhar says. Thanks to the PGIMER’s awarenesscampaign,linkingcadavers to organ donations as a noble cause, 4,700 people from Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula, have pledged their bodies for research, a positive step in meeting the cadaver shortage at teaching hospitals in the country. Over the last two weeks, two donor families chose donation over cremation. Amteshwar Sandhu and Ayesha Sandhu donated the body of their father, 72-year-old Major Adesh Pal SinghSandhu,asdidthechildren DECODING THE DONATION PROCESS How to register for body donation ■ Fill up a form at any government hospital ■ Submit ID proofs ■ Get two witnesses What about legalities? ■ Inform your next of kin about your pledge, or make a will. Relatives can prevent donation without concrete steps from the donor. The process ■ A donor card is issued to the applicant. ■ After the donor’s death, relatives have to contact the hospital within three hours. ■ The body is embalmed for preservation. ■ After four months, it is ready for use by students. of 82-year-old Bhagwant Virk. Cadaver donation has been in focus ever since party veteran Sitaram Yechury’s body was donatedtotheAll-IndiaInstituteof Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, for medical research. Sincecadaversareneededfor precise surgical and anatomical training, a shortage means students now make do with synthetic dummies instead. Even at AIIMS, it is mostly former doctors who donate their bodies. Yet,asProf KamranFarooque, Jai Prakash Narayan Trauma Centre Chief, AIIMS, argues, ca- Jaipur davers are needed more than ever before, given the evolving nature of surgical technologies which need to be tested before use on a patient. “The cadaver is closest to human anatomy. It gives a surgeon/doctor the near actual experience before he or she finally operates on the patient,” he says. Although there’s no national registry on the total number of bodies donated, The Indian Express reached out to medical collegesinDelhiandChandigarh for data on such donations. PGIMER, Chandigarh, re- ceives around 25 to 30 cadaver donations annually. At the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, Dr Rima Dada, professor, department of anatomy, says 70 bodies were donated in the last two years. In comparison, Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital and its affiliate Vardhman Mahavir Medical College (VMMC) received 24 donor cadavers in five years. The Ram Manohar Hospital and the associated Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences (ABVIMS) in Delhi received 18 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2