DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PATNA, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2025, LUCKNOW, LATE CITY, 16 PAGES `6.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM CBC 15502/13/0033/2526 SINCE 1932 SEPT DATA Y-O-Y FOR GOODS EXPORTS PRELUDE TO OLYMPICS DREAM Trump tariff: Exports to US dip 12% but China and UAE cushion blow An artist’s impression of the venues of the 2036 Olympics and the Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad in 2030 MIHIR VASAVDA MUMBAI, OCTOBER 15 IN WHAT is being seen as a preludetoitsambitionof hostingthe 2036 Olympics, India is set to holdtheCommonwealthGames (CWG)in2030withAhmedabad as the venue for the centenary edition of the event. Gujarat’s largest city was recommended as the “proposed host” by the executive board of Commonwealth Sport following its meeting Wednesday. “Amdavad will now be put forward to the full Commonwealth Sportmembership”forformalapproval during its General Assembly at Glasgow in Scotland on November 26, the governing body said in a statement. India last hosted the CWG in 2010 in Delhi — an event that wasovershadowedbypoorplanning, delays in infrastructure CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ‘Frivolous FIRs’ on cow slaughter being filed in UP: HC seeks report BHUPENDRA PANDEY LUCKNOW, OCTOBER 15 THE ALLAHABAD High Court took strong exception to police filing “frivolous FIRs” under the UP Cow Slaughter Act and the Preventionof CrueltytoAnimals Act, noting that these provisions TRANSFER OF JUSTICE ATUL SREEDHARAN FROM MP HIGH COURT SC Collegium admits its decision on judge changed after Govt ‘sought’ it arebeinginvokedagainstpeople in a casual manner across the state.Italsoraisedconcernsover cow vigilantism. The court has directed the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) and the Principal Secretary(Home)tofilepersonal affidavits within three weeks, explainingtheactiontobetaken againstpolicepersonnelwhofile such “casual” FIRs, and why directions should not be issued to theStatetoensuresuchcasesare not filed. Thebenchof JusticeAbdhesh Kumar Chaudhary and Justice AbdulMoinissuedthedirections whilehearingapetitionbyRahul CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 RAVI DUTTA MISHRA NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 15 EVENASIndia’sgoodsexportsto the United States registered a sharp fall of 12 per cent in September(yearonyear),thetotal exports registered a 6.74 per centgrowth,buttressedbygains in the UAE and Chinese markets. However, a sharp surge in gold, silver and fertiliser imports widened the trade deficit to $31.15 billion, the highest in over ayear,accordingtodatareleased by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on Wednesday. The data for September CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 UAE UK China ■ Exports(%) ■ Imports(%) -20.22 NA US 34.18 16.35 INDIA’S SEPTEMBER TRADE* *y-o-y; Source: Ministry of Commerce Netherlands & Industry China’s rare earth squeeze may push India-US deal to finish line, but timing key RAVI DUTTA MISHRA NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 15 WITH INDIAN negotiators in Washington this week — Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal, who is heading the negotiations, will join the Indian E delegation in the US tomorrow — shared concerns ● overcriticalminerals could provide the much-needed political push for the India-US trade deal that hasremainedstalledformonths. EXPLAINED Mallojula Venugopal Rao and 60 other Maoists hold copies of the Constitution after they laid down their arms before Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis in Gadchiroli. PTI REPORT,P8 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 -20 -30 11.94 53.99 TOP MAOIST, 60 CADRES SURRENDER Total goods exports up 6.74%; trade deficit highest in a year on gold, silver, fertiliser imports 24.33 32.83 Beating Nigeria’s Abuja, Ahmedabad recommended as ‘proposed host’ -11.91 11.78 India set to host 2030 Commonwealth Games — in Gujarat CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY Judgepartof benchthatpulledupMinisterforremarksonColQureshi APURVA VISHWANATH JusticeAtul Sreedharan hasnow beensentto AllahabadHC NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 15 IN A highly unusual admission, the Supreme Court collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India B R Gavai, Wednesday said that it hadchangeditsrecommendation regardingtransferof ajudgeafter the government “sought reconsideration” of its earlier decision. On August 25, the Collegium had recommended the transfer of Madhya Pradesh High Court judge Justice Atul Sreedharan to Chhattisgarh High Court. Justice Sreedharan has now been recommended for a transfer to the Allahabad High Court. “The Supreme Court Collegium,initsmeetingheldon 14thOctober,2025,onreconsideration sought by the Government,resolvedtorecommend that Mr. Justice Atul Sreedharan, Judge, High Court of Madhya Pradesh, be transferred totheHighCourtof Judicatureat Allahabad instead of the High Court of Chhattisgarh,” a statement by the Collegium said. Although the Collegium has, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE WORLD AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN AGREE TO 48-HR TRUCE PAGE 12 For first time in 15 years, SHO, INSPECTOR SUSPENDED ratio of women-to-men Probes ordered after voters declines in Bihar families of accused call Hathras shootout ‘fake’ ANJISHNU DAS DOWN TO 892 & LALMANI VERMA NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 15 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 LUCKNOW, OCTOBER 15 892 865 2025 2020 2015 2010 MORE REPORTS, P6 Source: EC 874 859 2005 ASPERthefinalelectoralrollsfollowing the Election Commission’s (EC's) contentious Special Intensive Revision DECISION (SIR) drive, Bihar has 2025 7.43 crore voters, inBIHAR cluding 3.92 crore men, 3.5 crore women and 1,725 belonging to the ‘third gender’. MANISH SAHU 899 A ‘SHOOTOUT’ in Hathras last week, in which police claimed they arrested two men wanted in a robbery and house trespass case, has led to the district administration ordering multiple inquiries and suspensions after the families raised doubts over its authenticity. The accused, Aligarh resi- dents Deva (22) and Sonu alias Omveer (30), are currently lodged in jail. Deputy Inspector General (Aligarh Range) Prabhakar Chaudharysaidthefamiliesofthe accused met him after which he ordered an inquiry into the case. Their families alleged that the police picked up Deva and Omveer from their homes but later falsely showed their arrest in an ‘encounter’ on October 10, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 With friends hours before ‘suicide’, Rohtak ASI ‘got call, said was going back to office’ PAGE 1 ANCHOR ABHIMANYU HAZARIKA & VARINDER BHATIA ROHTAK, CHANDIGARH, OCTOBER 15 A COUPLE of hours before he allegedly shot himself in the head Tuesday, ASI Sandeep Kumar Lather met his friends at a tea stall near the Rohtak bypass. It was their “usual hangout” but ASISandeep Kumar(above); hiswifeSantosh athisuncle’s homeinLadhot village,Rohtak. Manoj Dhaka “something was off, he looked troubled and distracted”. Then came a phone call, around 11.30 am, and Sandeep quickly excused himself, saying he was going back to his office. “He lied,” Sandeep’s friend Sanjay Deswal, who was part of that group of friends, told The Indian Express Wednesday while describing their last meeting. Within an hour or so, Deswal came to know that Sandeep had “died by suicide”, found lying CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Lucknow