DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2024, KOLKATA, LATE CITY, 16 PAGES SINCE 1932 `6.00 (`12 IN NORTH EAST STATES, `17 IN ANDAMAN) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM Ratan Tata, Farewell & Thank You Beacon of India Inc and philanthropist who steered a sprawling corporate empire — and its global expansion Over 20 yrs as chairman, took charge of group as nation opened economy GEORGE MATHEW MUMBAI, OCTOBER 9 RATAN NAVAL Tata, chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, a beacon of India Inc who steered his group amid India’s economic liberalisation and, subsequently,guideditsglobalex- pansion, breathed his last at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai Wednesday night. Tata, 86, was admitted following age-related health issues and was undergoing treatment at the hospital. Announcing his passing away, Tata Sons chairperson CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 President, V-P, PM and LoP lead the nation in paying tribute to ‘legend’ EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, MUMBAI, OCTOBER 9 RATAN NAVAL TATA 1937-2024 PRESIDENT DROUPADI Murmu led the nation in paying rich tribute to Ratan Tata who passed away in Mumbai late Wednesday night. Condolence messages and tribute poured in from across thecountryandabroadforTata who strode the industry like a colossus,inspiringgenerations. President Murmu said, “In the sad demise of Shri Ratan Tata,Indiahaslostaniconwho CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose with junior doctors on hunger strike, at Esplanade on Wednesday evening. Express RG KAR PROTESTS HC orders CBI probe into ‘custodial torture’ of 2 women EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE PARTY SEEKS PROBE INTO ALLEGED ‘MANIPULATION’ OF EVMs IN HARYANA The Indian Express wishes its readers HAPPY DURGA PUJA We are closed for the next four days. There will be no edition of the paper until Monday, October 14, 2024. Two soldiers abducted in J&K, body of one found BASHAARAT MASOOD SRINAGAR, OCTOBER 9 THE BODY of a Territorial Army (TA) soldier, who was reported to have been abducted by militants on Tuesday, was recovered from the South Kashmir forests on Wednesday morning. According to police sources, two TA soldiers, Hilal Ahmad Bhat (26) and Fayaz Ahmad Sheikh (36) — both local residents — were on a “reconnaissance mission” on Tuesday, when they were abducted by militants. While Sheikh managed to escape, Bhat’s body was recovered duriang a search operation in the morning. The two soldiers were associated with the 162 Battalion of the TA, sources said. According tosources,Sheikhsufferedabullet injury on his shoulder, and was admitted to the Army's 439 Field Hospital. There were three to four militants, including two foreigners, said sources. “There were some inputs about militant movement in the forest area,” a senior police officer said. “The Army had sent the two TA personnel to gather information and pin the forest location. However, they were abducted by the militants there,” he said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE WORLD CHEMISTRY NOBEL GOES TO TRIO OF PROTEIN PIONEERS PAGE 12 PAGE 1 ANCHOR Cong’s EVM remarks are undemocratic rejection of the will of people, says EC Cong delegation meets panel, submits written complaints from constituencies cluding J&K and Haryana.” Meanwhile, a Congress delegation met the EC later in the NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 9 evening and demanded a probe. The delegation, which included EVEN AS the Election AICC leaders K C Venugopal, Commission (EC) said the Jairam Ramesh, Ajay Maken and Congress’sstatementon“notac- Pawan Khera, former Haryana cepting” the Haryana verdict CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, was a step towards “undemoc- state party chief Udai Bhan and ratic rejection of the will of the former Rajasthan CM Ashok people”,theOppositionpartyon Gehlot, submitted a memoWednesday reiterated its allega- randum, along with written tion of “glaring discrepcomplaints from seven ancies” in some constituencies. Electronic Voting Speakingtoreporters Machines (EVMs) in afterthemeeting,Khera, Haryana and demanded who heads the party’s a “thorough probe”. media and publicity deVERDICT partment,said:“Wehave A day after the 2024 Congress alleged “mainformed the EC about nipulation” of EVMs and 20 complaints. Of these, rejected the Haryana results, the seven written complaints were EC, in a letter to party president from the constituencies, espeMallikarjun Kharge, said: “Such cially about the EVMs showing an unprecedented statement as 99 per cent battery. The rest of aboveinagenericsense,unheard the machines were showing 60intherichdemocraticheritageof 70 per cent batteries... We have the country, is far from a legiti- demanded that the machines mate part of free speech and ex- which we have complained pression and moves towards an CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 undemocratic rejection of the will of the people expressed in accordance with the statutory CM SAINI MEETS PM, and regulatory electoral frame- GETS BACKING OF work, uniformly applied across JINDAL, 2 OTHERS all elections in the country, in- PAGE 7 ASAD REHMAN & DAMINI NATH National Conference president Farooq Abdullah with his son and party vice-president Omar Abdullah at their residence in Srinagar on Wednesday. PTI How does getting into fight (with L-G) help me address J&K’s concerns: Omar NAVEED IQBAL SRINAGAR, OCTOBER 9 AFTER LEADING the National Conference (NC) to victory in the J&K Assembly elections, party vice-president Omar Abdullah, 54, is set to take over as the J&K Chief Minister. The NC-led alliance secured 49 seats out of 90, withtheNCwinning42seatsand the Congress just six. Omar bagged both the Kashmir constituencies — Budgam and Ganderbal—fromwherehecontested. In an interview with The Indian Express, he spoke on various issues ranging from takeaways from the poll outcome to his party’s roadmap ahead. Excerpts: NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 9 TWO DAYS after she moved into the Civil Lines bungalow earlier occupied by her predecessor Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi was on Wednesday asked to vacate the premises by officials of the PWD — the department she heads. The episode marks a sharp escalation in the row around the CM’sresidence—whiletheAam Aadmi Party claims Atishi movedinaftertakingcareof formalities, the PWD says an offi- A video grab shows CM Atishi’s belongings being taken away from the Civil Lines residence in Delhi. BY UNNY Despite predictions of a hung House, the NC has clinched the elections. What is your reading of the poll verdict? Look, I was never big on predictions. And before the votes had even been counted, I told you that exit polls are a waste of time. The exit polls got it wrong in my Baramulla election, and CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 2 days after moving in, Atishi made to vacate Delhi CM house, it’s locked GAYATHRI MANI BUSINESS AS USUAL cial “handover” of the property fromKejriwaltothedepartment is yet to take place. It is also the latest in a series of confrontations between the elected government and the bureaucracy. PWD officials said the house has been placed under double lock. Calling the move unprecedented,theCM’sOfficesaid,“For thefirsttimeinthehistoryof the country, the Chief Minister has been asked to vacate her house. The L-G has forcibly removed CMAtishi’sbelongingsatthebehest of the BJP. Preparations are CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 KOLKATA, OCTOBER 9 THE CALCUTTA High Court has ordered a CBI investigation into the alleged “custodial torture” of two women after they were arrested by West Bengal Police for protesting over the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the RG Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata. Hearingthepetitionsfiledby the two women, who are currentlyoutonbail,JusticeRajarshi Bharadwaj said the decision to transfer the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is “basedontheneedforanimpartial and independent inquiry into the serious allegations of custodial torture”. “Giventheinvolvementofpolice authorities, an investigation by local law enforcement might presentaconflictof interest,”the High Court said in its order. The two women petitioners CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 FULL COVERAGE PAGE 3 Caste census must to honour people’s sentiments, reduce disparity: ally Naidu P8 RITIKA CHOPRA NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 9 A CASTE CENSUS should be conducted to “honour sentiments of the people” and should be used alongwitheconomicanalysisand askillcensustoreduceeconomic disparities, N Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister, Andhra Pradesh, told The Indian Express. In a 90-minute interview at his 1, Janpath residence in New Delhi, Naidu, who was sworn in as the Chief Minister for the fourth time on June 12, and recently completed 100 days in office, justified the caste census and said, “Even if you belong to a weaker section, if you have money, society will respect you… Wealth is a big leveller.” Having allied with the BJP six THE EXPRESS INTERVIEW N CHANDRABABU NAIDU ANDHRA PRADESH CHIEF MINISTER years after his Telugu Desam Party broke ties in mid-2018, Naiduacknowledgedtherewere ideological differences between thetwopartiesoncertainissues, but said, “We will have ideologicaldifferences,butwewillwork together. It’s simple. My party is a regional party, and theirs is a CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 TN police detain Samsung union leaders, DMK faces heat from allies ARUN JANARDHANAN CHENNAI, OCTOBER 9 AS THE labour strike at Samsung’splantontheoutskirts of Chennai enters its second month, threatening Tamil Nadu’s business-friendly reputationandexposingcracksinthe ruling DMK’s political alliance, there appears to be no immediate resolution to the stalemate. Early Wednesday morning, Tamil Nadu police detained 11 union leaders and allegedly dismantled protest tents. Since September 9, more than a thousand workers affiliated with the Samsung plant workers take a colleague for medical aid during their strike at Sriperumbudur, Wednesday. PTI Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) have been pressing for recognition of their newly formed union and improved working conditions. Thepoliceactioncameahead of a visit by top leaders of DMK’s CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 37 yrs later, court acquits 8 held for glorifying Roop Kanwar death HAMZA KHAN JAIPUR, OCTOBER 9 THIRTY-SEVENYEARSafterthey were accused of glorifying the death of Roop Kanwar, India’s last known case of sati, a Jaipur special court on Wednesday acquitted eight persons giving them the benefit of doubt. Along with several others, the eight had allegedly held an event glorifying Roop Kanwar around the first anniversary of her alleged sati act. Sati Niwaran court special judge Akshi Kansal acquitted MahendraSingh,ShrawanSingh, NihalSingh,JitendraSingh,Uday Singh, Dasrath Singh, Laxman Singh and Bhanwar Singh. All eight were out on bail. Representing the accused, advocate Aman Chain Singh Shekhawat said, “We are yet to get the detailed order but the courthaspronounceditsverdict, acquitting eight persons today. The court said that the prosecution could not prove its case beyond doubt, and hence, giving the benefit of doubt to the eight, acquitted them.” The youngest of six siblings, Roop Kanwar, 18, had married Maal Singh from Divrala in Sikar in January 1987. The marriage was short-lived as Singh died of anillnessinaSikarhospitaleight months later. On September 4, 1987, Roop Kanwar is said to have sat on her husband’s funeral pyre and committed sati. The current case pertains to 1988 when, around the first anniversary of her death, 45 people allegedly held an event glorifying sati. This violated Section 5 (punishment for glorification of sati)of TheCommissionof Sati (Prevention)Act,1987,alawthat wasenactedafterRoopKanwar’s death. The punishment for violation of this section carries imprisonment of up to seven years and a fine of up to Rs 30,000. (Left) The site where Roop Kanwar (above) is said to have committed sati. Hamza Khan “Toprovetheviolationof section5,section3(attempttocommit sati) needed to be proved. However, the prosecution, the investigation agency, could not prove section 3 itself, that sati took place. There was no material evidence which could prove that sati took place and that it was subsequently glorified,” Shekhawat said. Of the45accusedinthiscase, 25 were acquitted in 2004 for lack of evidence, eight were acquitted on Wednesday, four are absconding, while the remaining eight are dead, he said. “Sincethebeginningwehave been saying that she committed theactonherownandtherewas no incitement or abetment. No one in the family did anything wrong. And the government too hasn’t been able to prove anything in the courts in 40 years,” Gopal Singh Rathore, Roop Kanwar’sbrother,toldTheIndian Express. VillagersinDivralasaythaton September4,1987,afterherhusband’s death, Roop Kanwar recitedtheGayatriMantra,dressed upin“solahshringaar(16adornments)”whilethousandsof peo- ple from Divrala and neighbouringvillagestookouther“shobha yatra”throughoutthevillage,and then committed sati. The case had led to a public outcry and is also cited as one of the reasons for the ouster of the then Rajasthan chief minister Hari Dev Joshi of the Congress. Divrala also assumed a special place in Rajput pride, with some of those hailing from the village, adding the name of the village to their own, and parallels were drawn to Chittorgarh’s Padmavati, the one who is said to have jumped into a pyre to escape Alauddin Khilji’s advancing army. Kolkata