30032022_First India_Ahmedabad.pdf

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MID-DAY MEALS RESUME IN GOVT,
AIDED SCHOOLS AFTER TWO-YEAR GAP
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: The Guja-
ratgovernmentonTues-
day resumed the mid-
day meal scheme in gov-
ernment and aided
schools across nine ur-
ban centres, two years
after it was suspended
due to the COVID-19
pandemic, an official
said.
Students in 29,464 pri-
mary schools will get
mid-day meals from
March 31 under the
scheme, which was sus-
pended on March 16,
2020, due to the pandem-
ic, he said.
State Education Min-
ister Jitu Vaghani re-
launched the scheme
from a government
school in Gandhinagar,
a government statement
said.
Theschemewillcover
7 lakh students in over
2,800 schools. Students
of 29,464 schools in Gu-
jarat will start getting
mid-day meals from
March 31, Vaghani said.
The state government
has sanctioned Rs1,071
crore for the PM
POSHAN Scheme for
2022-23, he said.
When schools were
shut amid the pandem-
ic, the state government
had paid money to ben-
eficiary families for the
purchase food grains
and towards cooking
costs, he said.
The government had
paid for more than 2.61
lakh tonnes of food
grains and Rs1,350 crore
towards cooking costs
under the food security
allowance, the minister
said.
Vaghani appealed to
people to provide food to
school students on spe-
cial occasions such as
birthdaysandweddings.
The minister further
said that the state gov-
ernment will construct
10,000 classrooms out of
the required number of
19,000 in schools across
the state.
The mid-day meal scheme was suspended on March 16, 2020,
due to the pandemic. —FILE PHOTO
State has
sanctioned
`1,071 crore for
the PM POSHAN
Scheme for
2022-23
RUSSIA ‘RESONATES’
TO UKRAINE’S OLIVE BRANCH
RUSSIA-UKRAINE TALKS BEGIN WITH ‘COLD WELCOME’
CRUCIAL READ
New Delhi: India’s
sharp economic recov-
ery post Covid-19 and
Budget initiatives will
help in sustaining
growth momentum in
the years to come, Fi-
nance Minister Nirma-
la Sitharaman said on
Tuesday. She also high-
lighted that the govern-
ment had not raised
taxes during the pan-
demic or had not used
the tax route to fund the
recovery process. Si-
tharaman said, “no tax
was increased to fund
recovery process,” or
that the government
had “not taken taxation
as a route to resource
mobilisation.” Despite
that, Sitharaman said,
Rs 8.35 lakh crore de-
volved to states in the
current fiscal, higher
than the revised esti-
mate of Rs 7.45 lakh
crore for FY22.
Chandigarh: A group
of farmers demanding
relief for crop damage
allegedly held 12 gov-
ernment officials hos-
tage for hours inside a
sub-tehsil office in
Muktsar district’s Lam-
bi in Punjab. The offi-
cials who were taken
hostage, included a
naib-tehsildar and pat-
waris, were freed by po-
lice late on Monday as
the protesters refused
to let them go.
farmers have been
demanding relief for
damage to their cotton
crop by pink bollworms.
HEATWAVE
ALERT FOR
PARTS OF N.INDIA
SENSEX GAINS
350 POINTS, NIFTY
OVER 17,300
New Delhi: A heat-
wave spell is likely
in several parts of
north and west India
over the next two
days, while rainfall is
likely to continue over
northeast India, the
IMD has said. Delhi
and southern Hary-
ana will experience
heatwave conditions.
The Saurashtra-
Kutch region, eastern
Rajasthan likely to see
heatwave conditions.
Indian shares ended
higher for the second
consecutive ses-
sion on March 29 on
positive global cues
following reports of
peace talks between
Russia and Ukraine
and a fall in crude
prices. At close,
the Sensex was up
350.16 points, or 0.61
percent, at 57,943.65
and the Nifty was up
103.30 points, or 0.60
percent, at 17,325.30.
‘Sharp recovery in FY22
to help sustain growth’
Farmers seeking relief hold 12
Govt Officials Hostage In Punjab
AHMEDABAD l WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/79050 l Vol 3 l Issue No. 123
OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, AHMEDABAD, LUCKNOW NEW DELHI
.
Alwar: A major fire spread in Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan’s Alwar district
prompting the authorities to rope in two IAF choppers to control it. Manpower of more
than 200 which included forest staff, nature guides and local people was also deployed
for the fire fighting operation. The fire was controlled by close to 40 percent and is
expected to be under control on Wednesday, a top forest department official said.
HUGE FIRE IN
SARISKA TIGER
RESERVE, IAF
TO RESCUE
New Delhi: The UP government told the SC that the “attack” on a witness in the
Lakhimpur Kheri violence case had nothing to do with the case — as alleged — but
was the outcome of some people throwing gulal (coloured powder) on the person.
Meanwhile, the UP government also said that bail application by Union Minister
Ajay Mishra Teni’s son Ashish Mishra, had been “vehemently opposed” by it.
LAKHIMPUR:
RECENT FEUD AN
ALTERCATION, UP
GOVT TELLS SC
IRON MAN SHAH SORTS OUT 50 YEAR OLD
ASSAM-MEGHALYA BORDER DISPUTE
Both states resolve border
issues in 6 locations, Shah
terms it ‘historic day’ for
Northeast
Aditi Nagar
New Delhi: Assam
and Meghalaya on
Tuesday signed an
agreement to resolve
their five-decade-old
border disputes in six
of the 12 locations,
with Union Home Min-
ister Amit Shah calling
it a “historic day” for
the Northeast. In fact,
sources reveal, that it
was primarily the ‘te-
nacious’ and far sight-
ed Shah who not only
initiated the efforts but
was also involved at
every juncture so that
the disputes can be re-
solved and the states
can move ahead on de-
velopmental path.
On Tuesday, the
agreement was signed
in the presence of Shah
and CMs of Assam and
Meghalaya Himanta
Biswa Sarma and Con-
rad Sangma respective-
ly
. The pact will resolve
the protracted disputes
in six of the 12 places
along the 884.9 km bor-
der. “It is a historic day
for the Northeast,”
Shah said at the func-
tion. Shah said with
the signing of the
agreement, 70 per cent
of the border dispute
between the two states
has been resolved.
There are 36 villages in
the six places, covering
an area of 36.79 sq km,
with regard to which
the agreement has
been reached.
Didi writes to all Oppn
leaders for united fight
Kolkata: West Bengal
Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee wrote to all
Opposition leaders and
CMs calling for a united
fight against the BJP.
Mamata alleged that
the BJP repeatedly at-
tacked the federal struc-
ture of the country. “I
am writing to you to
express deep concern
over direct attacks on
institutional democra-
cy by the BJP. Central
agencies such as the
ED, CBI, CVC and the
Income Tax Depart-
ment are being used to
target political oppo-
nents for vendetta,”
said Bengal CM Mama-
ta Banerjee in her letter.
CONG MLA, SIX
OTHERS BOOKED
FOR ASSAULTING
POWER AEN JEN
Dholpur: Congress MLA
from Bari, Girraj Singh
Malinga and six others were
booked on
Tuesday for
assaulting
officials of
the Electricity
Department
and making
casteist remarks, Dholpur
SP Shivraj Meena said. They
have been booked under the
SC/ST Act. Malinga denied
his role in the case and his
name has been added as he
complained against corrup-
tion by power officials. In
a complaint to police, AEN
Harshadipati alleged that
MLA Malinga and the others
assaulted him and JEN Nitin
Gulati on Monday.
Amit Shah @AmitShah
In another milestone towards fulfilling
PM Shri @NarendraModi Ji’s resolve
of a peaceful and dispute free North East, today a
historic agreement was signed by the CM Assam
Shri @himantabiswa and CM Meghalaya Shri @
SangmaConrad for the settlement of their inter-
state boundary.
Istanbul: Russian and
Ukrainian negotiators
began the first direct
peace talks in more
than two weeks on
Tuesday in Istanbul,
with the surprise at-
tendance of Russian
billionaire Roman
Abramovich who is
sanctioned by the West
over Moscow’s invasion
of Ukraine.
Russia promised at
peace talks to drasti-
cally scale down its
military operations
around Kyiv and the
northern Ukrainian
city of Chernihiv, while
Ukraine proposed neu-
tral status with interna-
tional guarantees to
protect it from attack.
Ukrainian negotiators
said they had proposed
a status under which
their country would not
join alliances or host
bases of foreign troops,
but would have its secu-
rity guaranteed in
terms similar to “Arti-
cle 5”, the collective de-
fence clause of NATO.
They identified Israel
and NATO members
Canada, Poland and
Turkey as countries
that could help provide
such guarantees.
RUSSIAN ROCKET STRIKE KILLS 7,
INJURES 22 IN UKRAINE’S MYKOLAIV
GOVT MAKING EFFORTS TO MITIGATE
WAR-INDUCED ECONOMIC SETBACK
UKRAINE WAR HAVING IMPACT
ON SUPPLY CHAINS BROKEN
7 INJURED IN POLICE LATHICHARGE
‘… I WILL
THRASH THEM’,
SAYS PUTIN
A Russian strike on a govt building in Ukrainian’s
Mykolaiv has killed seven people and injured more
than 20 others, Zelensky has said. A rocket tore a
hole through the nine-storey building shortly be-
fore 09:00 local (06:00 GMT) on Tuesday morning.
Bhopal: PM Modi on Tuesday said efforts are being
made to mitigate the burden on citizens due to the
economic crisis which, after the Covid-19 pandem-
ic, aggravated as the world has entered a battlefield,
in an apparent reference to the Russia-Ukraine war.
New Delhi: Finance Minister Sithararaman said
on Tuesday that the war is impacting all countries
similar to how the pandemic did, with the “supply
chains broken.” Crude oil prices have shot up
since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.
Seven farm union activists sustained minor injuries after
police resorted to cane-charge on Monday midnight to
free revenue officials held hostage for nine hours. Naib-
tehsildar Arjinder Singh and his subordinate staff were
held hostage by members of the Bhartiya Kisan Union
(Ekta-Ugrahan) and the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union.
Police swung into action on receiving distress calls from
the officials, who had been locked in their office.
Moscow: Russia’s
Vladimir Putin has
vowed to ‘thrash’
Ukraine, British daily
The Times reported on
Monday ahead of anoth-
er round of peace talks
between the Russia and
Ukraine. In an exclusive
report (paywalled)
The Times said Putin
reportedly told Roman
Abramovich - the Rus-
sian billionaire ex-owner
of English Premier
League club Chelsea
seen as the president’s
unofficial envoy - ‘Tell
him (Ukraine president
Volodymyr Zelenskyy) I
wil thrash them.’
DONT VOTE, ELSE YOU WILL FACE
CONSEQUENCES: TMC’S MLA NAREN
Kolkata: BJP Bengal co-in-charge and the party’s IT
Cell chief Amit Malviya on Tuesday shared a video of
TMC MLA Naren Chakraborty threatening the voters.
In the purported video, Chakraborty is heard asking
BJP supporters not to vote, otherwise, they would face
consequences after polls. He said that if they do not vote,
then they can continue to stay in the state and do a job.
Malviya has demanded the Election Commission to take
action against Chakraborty on the basis of the video.
Ukraine stresses on neutral status as Russia says “will
radically reduce military activity near Kyiv and Chernihiv

NEWS
AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022
02
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: The Gu-
jarat government on
Monday informed the
Assembly that over
13,000 state-run prima-
ry schools do not have
computer labs.
Responding to a que-
ry raised by Congress
MLA Ashvin Kotwal,
state Education Minis-
ter Jitu Vaghani, in his
written reply, stated
that 13,818 primary
schools do not have
computer lab facilities.
As per the data tabled
in the Assembly by Va-
ghani, the tribal-domi-
natedDahoddistricthas
1,024 such primary
schools, followed by
Mehsana with 991,
Chhota Udepur with
928. Patan 786, Kutch 739
andMahisagarwith642.
In his reply, Vaghani
said instead of comput-
er labs, the state gov-
ernment has decided to
build “smart class-
rooms” in schools un-
der its 'Gyankunj Pro-
ject' to impart educa-
tion using the latest
technology
.
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: The Cen-
tre has decided not to go
ahead with the Par-Ta-
pi-Narmada river link
project, following
strong protests against
it by tribals, Gujarat
BJP president CR Patil
said on Tuesday
.
However, the opposi-
tion Congress dubbed
the decision, which
comes ahead of the
state Assembly polls
this year, as a “lollipop”
for tribal communities,
and said the protest will
continue until the gov-
ernment issues a white
paper on scrapping the
project.
Patil told reporters
that he along with Guja-
rat ministers from trib-
al communities, as well
as MLAs and MPs from
the state met Union
ministers Amit Shah,
Nirmala Sitharaman
and Gajendra Singh
Shekhawat in New Del-
hi on Monday, and ap-
pealed to them not to go
ahead with the project.
“They have assured
us that it cannot be giv-
en a go-ahead until Ma-
harashtra and Gujarat-
-the two states involved
in the project--give their
written consent,” the
BJP leader said.
“The opposition par-
ties tried to instigate
tribals for their own
benefit. They blamed it
on the BJP while forget-
ting that the (Par-Tapi-
Narmada river link)
project was launched
when Manmohan Singh
was the prime minis-
ter,” he added.
“The BJP will never
do anything that will
lead to tribals losing
their land and affect
their interest,” he also
said.
However, Leader of
Opposition in the Guja-
rat Assembly Sukhram
Rathva claimed the BJP
has taken the decision
in view of the state elec-
tions due in December
this year, for its own
benefit rather than that
of the tribal communi-
ties.
“It is no more than a
lollipop. We will con-
tinue to protest against
the project until the
government comes out
with a white paper. The
claims (about scrapping
the project) are meant
to mislead the tribals
and take political mile-
age ahead of the elec-
tion,” he said.
First India Bureau
Modasa : A video circu-
lating in the Aravalli
district shows a preg-
nant woman walking
with the support of
other women on a mud
road. She was nine
months pregnant and
had labour pain but had
to walk for almost two
kilometres to board the
ambulance waiting for
her to take her to the
hospital.
According to the vil-
lagers of Anandpura
village of the Aravalli
district, for several
months, the village pan-
chayat has been fight-
ing for bad roads with
the Taluka and district
panchayat office but no
one has yet taken the is-
sue seriously and resur-
faced the road. Due to
this, an ambulance can-
not enter Anandpura
village. Taluka and dis-
trict panchayat office
bearers were not avail-
able for comments.
Villagers have told lo-
cal media, the road
from Anandpura school
to Lima street connect-
ing Surajpur village is
in a bad condition; so
ambulances can't reach
the heart of the village,
to pick up patients. Cir-
culating video clips on
social media was the
only option to draw the
attention of the district
authorities so that the
road gets repaired at
the earliest, and no oth-
er pregnant woman or
ill person has to walk
for the ambulance.
First India Bureau
G a n d h i n a g a r :
Around 31 leaders of
pastoral community
Maldharis of Gokul-
pura in Gandhinagar
protested in front of
the district Collector-
ate on Tuesday over
the drafted cattle men-
ace bill. They also de-
manded that the gov-
ernment make provi-
sions for death by eu-
thanasia for the ani-
mals.
It is to be noted that
the state government
has stated before the
Gujarat High Court
that a draft bill to curb
stray cattle menace has
been prepared, which
will be introduced as a
law at the earliest.
On the other hand,
the Maldhari commu-
nity in Surat also pre-
sented an application
letter to the Surat col-
lector in opposition of
the impending bill. Ac-
cording to a notifica-
tion by the local admin-
istration, the registra-
tion and tagging of
animals will be made
mandatory in the mu-
nicipality for pastoral-
ists in Surat.
The state govern-
ment will introduce a
bill on curbing harass-
ment of stray cattle in
the Gujarat Legislative
Assembly on March 31.
The state urban devel-
opment department
drafted the bill even
after the Gujarat High
Court slammed it. As
per a source, “Strict
provisions have been
made in the law for pas-
toralists keeping cattle
in urban areas.”
If the law is imple-
mented, cattle breed-
ers will have to secure
a license to keep cattle
in urban areas. Pasto-
ralists will be liable to
obtain a license within
90 days of the new law
coming into force. All
livestock kept by breed-
ers will have to be
tagged within 15 days
of receiving their li-
censes.
And if any ‘tagged’
animal is caught wan-
dering around, its own-
er will be charged with
a criminal offence. To
investigate the case,
the local authorities of
the city will appoint a
licensed inspector. Ad-
ditionally, hay will not
be permitted to be sold
in urban areas except
at designated places.
AMID DISSENT FROM TRIBALS, PAR-TAPI-NARMADA
RIVERLINKPROJECTONHOLD: CRPATIL
Cong to continue to protest until govt issues white paper cancelling the project
Tribal communities held a protest against the project in Gandhinagar on March 25. —FILE PHOTO
UP IN ARMS
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: The Aam
Aadmi Party (AAP) on
Tuesday appealed to
farmers in Gujarat not
to pay their electricity
bills if the Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP)-led
state government failed
to provide them with
uninterrupted power
supply in the ongoing
summer season. The
AAP leaders also an-
nounced their intention
to jam national high-
ways if the state takes
any action against dis-
senting farmers.
In a press conference
held at the AAP office
in Ahmedabad, farmer
activist and senior par-
ty leader Sagar Rabari
said, “I call upon the
farmers of Gujarat not
to pay their electricity
bills until the govern-
ment ensures uninter-
rupted power supply to
them. They should not
allow energy depart-
ment officials and rep-
resentatives of power
companies to enter vil-
lages or farmlands. If a
power company cuts
the electrical supply of
any farmer in Gujarat,
then AAP leaders will
visit the farmer’s home
and restore it.”
He added, “We are
ready to face any has-
sles that come our way.
If the government does
not ensure uninterrupt-
ed supply or cuts the
power supply of any
farmer, then AAP lead-
ers will jam national
highways for farmers’
welfare.”
A few days ago, state
Energy Minister Kanu
Desai had announced
that farmers will re-
ceive six hours of elec-
tricity supply for the
next one week. He also
promised to increase
power supply hours
thereafter and even in-
terrupt electricity at
industrial units to pro-
vide power to farmers.
Farmer organiza-
tions in the state have
been protesting for the
past one week demand-
ing regular supply of
power for irrigation
purposes. He also ques-
tioned the state govern-
ment regarding the six-
hour supply decision,
by invoking its claim
that Gujarat is a power-
surplus state.
AAP URGES FARMERS NOT TO PAY POWER BILLS
CALL FOR ACTION
lll
Leaders warn
govt against
taking action,
announce
intention
to block
national
highways if
that happens Agricultural workers from various talukas of Banaskantha district gathered at Malana Lake earlier
this month.
POLITICAL CLOUT
Prime Minister Narendra Modi (centre, first line) met with Gujarat members of Parliament in New Delhi on Monday. He is flanked on the right by BJP National President
JP Nadda, (5th from left) Gujarat BJP President CR Patil, MP Ramilaben Bara, MP Bhartiben Shiyal, MP Gitaben Rathva and MP Shardaben Patel.The PM is flanked
on the right by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister of Fisheries,Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala, Union External Affairs Minister
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Union Minister of Health Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya and Union Minister of State for Textiles Railways Darshana Jardosh.
14K primary schools lack
computer labs: Guj govt
As many as 13,818
state-run primary
schools do not have a
computer lab.
—FILE PHOTO
Cattle menace roaming freely on roads pose a threat to citizens; several attack incidents have been
reported this year. —FILE PHOTO
Maldharis oppose drafted
cattle menace curbing Bill
Pregnant woman in labour
walks 2 km for an ambulance
A pregnant woman in a yellow sari had to walk two kilometres to
get on to the ambulance.

First India Bureau
Patan: The Santalpur
police, in a swift ac-
tion, have arrested
three persons for kid-
napping and abetting
charges. One accused
is already facing a
criminal case under
the Protection of
Children from Sexual
Offences (POCSO)
Act and kidnapping
sections of the Indi-
an Penal code.
The rape victim
Jasoda’s (name
changed) father, in his
complaint at the police
station, said that on
Monday night Mit
Aahir of Bakutra vil-
lage had called his
daughter and intro-
duced himself as a po-
lice constable and
spoke for some time. A
while later, Aahir, with
one associate reached
the victim’s house in a
car. He forced the vic-
tim and his family to
board the car and took
them to Patanka vil-
lage near the Narmada
canal. While the ac-
cused and his accom-
plice were driving, they
also spoke to a third
person.
Aahir and his friend
forced the victim’s fam-
ily to get down near the
Narmada canal and
drove the vehicle, out-
side Patanka village. A
few kilometres away,
Mit Aahir raped
17-year-old Jasoda in
the car, dumped her
right there and threat-
ened dire consequences
if she told anyone
about her ordeal.
Somehow, the vic-
tim’s family found
Jasoda and took her to
the hospital. Doctors
on duty informed the
Santalpur police sta-
tion, who then swung
into action and arrest-
ed Mit alias Jivan
Aahir, Lakshman
Aahir and an un-
named person. The
victim’s medical ex-
amination is current-
ly underway, and she
is undergoing treat-
ment at the hospital.
Mit was also sent for a
medical exam.
GUJARAT
03
Police find four of
family dead,hunt on
for ‘missing’ man
Active tally slides
down to 150 as
state adds 5 cases
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: Odhav
police recovered
bodies of two wom-
en and two children
from a house in the
area late on Tues-
day night. Accord-
ing to reports, they
belong to the Mar-
athi family which
lived there. Vinod,
the husband of one
of the women, was
missing from the
house.
Neighbours in-
formed police about a
foul smell emanating
from the house, fol-
lowing which, a team
was rushed there. Af-
ter breaking the lock,
officials discovered
the bodies of Subhad-
raben (70), a middle-
aged woman Sonal-
ben and two children
Pragati and Ganesh.
Sonalben’s husband,
who was nowhere to
be found, is the pri-
marymurdersuspect.
After speaking
with neighbours, po-
lice learnt that the
Marathis had shifted
to the house only 15
days ago, and there
had been a domestic
dispute in the family
.
First India Bureau
Gandhinagar: The
state on Tuesday told
the Assembly that the
populations of the
vulture and the great
Indian bustard (GIB),
both endangered
birds, has declined in
the state, while those
of lions, leopards and
bears has risen.
Responding to a que-
ry by Congress MLA
Kanti Sodha Parmar,
Forest Minister Kirit-
sinh Rana said the last
wildlife census con-
ducted in 2016 suggest-
ed a decline in the
number of vultures by
44 and a drop of 23 in
the GIB count.
Rana, however, in
his reply did not men-
tion the current popu-
lation of both the en-
dangered birds in Gu-
jarat.
He said the popula-
tion of lions rose by
151 in the 2020 census.
Similarly, 235 more
leopards were found in
the census of 2016,
while the bear count
rose by 50. The black-
buck population rose
by 2,847 in the 2015 cen-
sus and the Indian wild
ass number saw an up-
tick of 1,631 in the 2020
census.
Responding to a sub-
question on the steps
taken for conservation
of these endangered
birds, Rana said the
state has already
banned veterinary use
of diclofenac, a drug
considered to be a ma-
jor contributing factor
in the declining popu-
lation of vultures.
To ensure a regular
food supply for the
scavengers, the state
has built “Vulture
Cafetarias” in differ-
ent parts of the state,
Rana said, adding that
villagers are continu-
ously made aware of
the importance of
these birds and that ef-
forts are being made to
protect vulture nests
on coconut trees.
While a breeding
programme for captive
vultures has been ini-
tiated in the Junagadh
zoo, he said.
The area inhabited
by the GIB in the Kutch
region has been de-
clared a sanctuary and
an eco-sensitive zone,
and work has begun to
put reflectors on wind-
mills in areas around
GIB habitats to pre-
vent the birds from get-
ting injured from mov-
ing blades, he added.
First India Bureau
Gandhingar: Guja-
rat on Tuesday re-
ported five new cor-
onavirus infections
but no pandemic-
related deaths.
Thestate’scaseload
rose to 12,23,884. With
89patientsrecovering
during the day
, the
tally of recovered cas-
es rose to 12,12,792.
The number of active
cases dipped to 150,
the department said.
The death toll re-
mained unchanged at
10,942.
Ahmedabadreport-
ed one case, while
Mehsana and Va-
dodara reported two
new cases each.
As many as 96,459
people were vaccinat-
ed against COVID-19
on Tuesday
, which
took the total of vac-
cine doses adminis-
tered so far in the
state to 10.60 crore.
Vulture, Great Indian Bustard
numbers have decreased: Govt
WILDLIFE TRACK
Vultures have been tagged with transmitters to study their habitat
and behaviour. —FILE PHOTO
Count of lions,
leopards and
bears has
increased in Guj,
House informed
COVID-19
UPDATE
12,12,792
89
RECOVERED
IN A DAY
TOTAL
RECOVERED
12,23,884
TOTAL CASES
05 CASES
IN A DAY
10,942
TOTAL DEATHS
00 DEATHS
IN A DAY
150
02 MAX
CASES IN
MEHSANA
ACTIVE CASES
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
3 arrested for kidnaping,
raping 17-year-old girl
The minor was picked up by man posing as constable, raped in a car and dumped a few km away
Mansexuallyharasses
daughter-in-law,booked
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: A wom-
an has alleged in her
complaint that her
father-in-law made
sexual advances and
sang obscene songs.
Krushnanagar Po-
lice have booked the
father-in-law, moth-
er-in-law and hus-
band under various
sections of the Indi-
an Penal Code for
sexual harassment,
harassment of the
woman for any un-
lawful demand, ob-
scene songs, crimi-
nal intimidation and
abettor.
Shilpaba (name
changed), on February
13, 2021, got married to
Parthsinh Chavda. She
was living in a joint
family in Vadodara. In
her complaint, she said
that on April 24, 2021
afternoon, when she
was resting in her bed-
room, her father-in-law
Vijaysinh Chavda en-
tered her room, sat
next to her on her bed,
caught her hand, and
started making sexual
demands. The woman
also alleged her father-
in-law expressed his
love for her.
When Shilpa spoke
to her mother-in-law
Sonalba about Vijay-
sinh’s sexual advances,
she was told to adjust
andthatitwascommon
in the family
. Even her
husband asked her to
surrender to his father.
In June 2021, when
she was at her parental
home, her father-in-
law Vijaysinh called
inquiring about her
whereabouts and ex-
pressed that he felt
lonely in her absence.
When the complain-
ant’s father learned
about the call, he called
Vijaysinh. Instead of
being ashamed, Vijay-
sinh replied, he had
only spoken to her, was
yet not physical with
her and threatened
him with dire conse-
quences.
The complainant’s
father asked Shilpaba
to lodge complaints
against her in-laws and
husband. The case is
under investigation by
Police Sub-Inspector
AS Asari.
V’dara cops file 370-page charge sheet in
‘one-sided love’ Makarpura murder case
Sessions court may pronounce verdict
in Grishma Vekariya murder case today
First India Bureau
Vadodara: The crime
branch on Tuesday
filed a 370-page
charge sheet in the
Makarpura murder
case—just seven
days after the inves-
tigation began.
On March 22, police
found a girl’s mutilat-
ed body within the ju-
risdiction of Makar-
pura police station
near Mujar Gamdi vil-
lage near the National
highway
. The local po-
lice and crime branch
nabbed the killer
Kalpesh Thakor with-
in hours of the crime
and later got three-day
remandfromthecourt.
“We formed seven
teams, caught Thakor
and started collecting
vital scientific and
medical evidence, fo-
rensic report, medical
report, CCTV footage,
DVR (phone call de-
tails), and recorded
statements of 85 wit-
nesses, including
three key witnesses,
under section 164 and
filed,a370-pagecharge
sheet in the court on
the seventh day of the
crime,” said ACP
Crime DS Chauhan.
First India Bureau
Surat: The local ses-
sions court might
announce its verdict
on the Grishma
Vekariya murder
case on Wednesday,
officials said.
The public prose-
cutor has examined
all the witnesses and
made his closing
statement in the case.
The defendant’s law-
yer has also cross-ex-
amined the witness-
es. Further, accused
Fenil Goyani’s state-
ment was recorded on
Tuesday.
The Directorate of
Forensic Sciences
(DFS) team has also
submitted their report
on the voice and audio
clips presented by the
police in the court.
The report stated that
the call recording and
the video clip in which
the murder is seen is
original and not tam-
pered with. The public
prosecutor took state-
ments of 105 witness-
es out of 190 and
dropped 85 of them.
In the testimonies,
the court heard that
Goyani called his
friend the murder, and
told him that he had
killed Grishma. He al-
legedly also sent a
message to his sister
on Instagram saying,
“I killed her today”.
In addition to
unwanted
advances, he also
threatened her
family ‘with dire
consequences;
she said in her
police complaint
Fenil Goyani is
accused of slitting the
throat of the 21-year-
old who spurned his
romantic overtures
Kalpesh Thakor was nabbed by the police the day after the
murder was discovered. —FILE PHOTO
The house where the family was found dead.

PERSPECTIVE
04
l Vol 3 l Issue No. 123
l RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/79050.
Printed and published by
Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf
of First Express Publishers.
Printed at Bhaskar Printing Planet
Survey No.148P, Changodar-
Bavla Highway, Tal. Sanand, Dist.
Ahmedabad. Published at D/302
3rd Floor Plot No. 35 Titanium
Square, Scheme No. 2, Thaltej
Taluka, Ghatlodiya, Ahmedabad.
Editor-In-Chief: Jagdeesh Chandra.
Editor: Haresh Jhala
responsible for selection of news
under the PRB Act
SPIRITUAL SPEAK
That is why we never give up.
Though our bodies are dying,
our spirits are being renewed
every day. For our present
troubles are small and won’t
last very long. Yet they produce
for us a glory that far outweighs
them and will last forever!
—Bible
IN-DEPTH
Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
I am honoured to be addressing the Matua
Dharma Maha Mela 2022 at 4:30 PM
tomorrow, 29th March. We shall also mark
the Jayanti of the great Sri Sri Harichand
Thakur Ji, who devoted his entire life for
social justice and public welfare.
Rajnath Singh
@rajnathsingh
Both the countries look forward to further
strengthen the bilateral relations as India-
Israel complete 30 years of full diplomatic
relations. Defence cooperation is the
founding pillar of our strategic partnership.
Military and industry cooperation
has been on an upward swing.
TOP TWEETS
SRI LANKA HAS
NO MONEY BUT
IT HAS A GOOD
NEIGHBOUR
ri Lanka’s economy
has crumbled. Minis-
ter of External Af-
fairsS.Jaishankaron
his recent visit to Co-
lomboannouncedabilliondollar
credit to help the island nation
face its economic crisis. Such is
the situation there that Colombo
has desperately sought another
loan of $1.5 billion from India.
Thatdoesnotgiveacompletepic-
ture of the seriousness of the
crisis in Lanka where the econo-
my is virtually at a standstill
with no tourists and little tea ex-
port. With just two factors driv-
ing its economy
, Sri Lanka found
the pandemic blow crippling.
The impact of this is being felt
by the people of Sri Lanka who
are leaving the country
. Those
whocan’t,havetolivewithshort-
ages. A hospital in Kandy an-
nouncedsuspensionof surgeries
due to shortage of medicines. A
“disturbed” foreign minister
asked India’s High Commission-
er in Colombo to help the hospi-
tal tide over the crisis.
Colombo is lucky to have a
good neighbour like India.
S
he demand to bar
Muslim traders
from Hindu tem-
ple sites in Udupi
and Shivamogga
in Karnataka is an extension
of the ban on wearing of hi-
jab by students. The appeal
asking Hindus to not buy
stuff from Muslims has, ob-
viously, come from right-
wing hard liners like the
Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Ba-
jrang Dal, Shri Rama Sene
and Hindu Jagarana Vedike.
It is strange that Muslim ven-
dors who must have been
running their businesses in
the vicinity of temples for
years are suddenly being
seen as threats and untouch-
ables. There is no plausible
reason other than Islamopho-
bia for this bigoted appeal.
These divisive forces are
not confined to the two Kar-
nataka districts. Sadiq Ali, a
tailor who stitched clothes
for Ram Lalla, the presiding
deity at the makeshift tem-
ple in Ayodhya for several
years, was replaced by a dif-
ferent tailor a few years ago.
In fact, lanes in Ayodhya are
the best examples of com-
munal harmony. Ironically,
his shop was located on land
belonging to Hanuman
Garhi temple.
Two Karnataka BJP lead-
ers have openly opposed the
idea oust Muslim traders
from the area. “This is all
madness. No God or religion
preaches these kinds of
things. Religions are inclu-
sive and not exclusive,” said
AH Vishwanath, an MLC. An-
otherBJPleader,AnilBenake,
an MLA who represents the
Muslim-dominated Belagavi
North constituency, also
voicedhisdissenttothemove.
It is wrong to say that people
should purchase from some
stores and not from others,
Benake said. “We will not im-
pose restrictions,” he empha-
sised. It is worrisome how
there is a gradual build-up of
an anti-Muslim sentiment.
DON’T DIVIDE TRADE
ON RELIGIOUS LINES
It is strange that Muslim
vendors who must have
been running their businesses
in the vicinity of temples
for years are suddenly
being seen as threats
and untouchables. There
is no plausible reason
other than Islamophobia for
this bigoted appeal
T
he House is on the boil. On
Monday afternoon, chaotic
scenes were witnessed in the
West Bengal Assembly as leg-
islators of the ruling Trina-
mool Congress and the Oppo-
sitionBJPcametoblowsafter
the BJP demanded that CM
Mamata Banerjee address the
House over the state’s law and
order situation.
Leader of Opposition,
BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari and
four other BJP legislators
have been suspended by the
Speaker following the ruck-
us. “The Opposition had de-
manded a discussion over
law and order and the gov-
ernment declined. They
brought Kolkata police per-
sonnel in civil dress to clash
with our MLAs,” Adhikari
later told the media.
The Birbhum killings were
the triggering factor. For al-
most five decades now and
since the Sixties, the land
which has nurtured culture
and tradition has been haunt-
ed by tremendous political
upheavals and turbulent
times. Who scored over whom
is certainly not a point to be
pondered upon, but that the
stateisrockedbytheseviolent
incidentshasbeenamatterof
huge concern and shame and
there seems to be no light at
the end of the tunnel.
Meanwhile, in Bogtui vil-
lage… the numbness is still
very much there. The palpa-
ble shock and trauma among
those living in the vicinity
hang heavy
. The rustle of
dried leaves makes you wary
that you have visited a crema-
torium or a burial ground of
sorts where the dead lay… but
not in peace. The stench of
burnt flesh is still in the air,
you may feel nauseating with
the very thought that around
8 people were roasted alive!
The area is deserted…
Most of those, whose nearest
ones were charred to death,
have fled to “safer” vistas.
Even shops and kiosks near
the “Killer Spot” have
downed their shutters. Dur-
ing the day, some manage to
huddle and discuss the conse-
quences of that horrible
night when “factional feud
within the ruling party” ini-
tiated the dance of death!
Outsiders are looked upon
suspiciously
. An eerie silence
is deafening and people hail-
ing from outside get those
looks! Often cries of women
who have lost their family
members rent the air. After
sunset,theentirevillagelooks
like a haunted ground and it
seemsthatthespiritsarelurk-
ing in your neighbourhood.
Even as at least 54 police-
menhavebeendeployedonthe
spot in two shifts, villagers are
not confident of returning
home. Some may visit their
homesduringtheday
,butpack
up well before sunset. What is
happening in the land of
Tagore? Bogtui is only 62 km
from Santiniketan, the abode
of peace that Rabindranath
Tagore had built so much love
and affection. Also, Nanoor,
where 11 landless peasants
were killed in 2000, is even
closer to this abode of peace—
just about 20 km!
Last Monday
, TMC’s Bhadu
Sheikhwasmurderedinbroad
daylight in Bogtui. Within
hours,amobattackedthefam-
ilies of the suspected killers,
set fire to their houses and
burntthemalive.Atleast8per-
sons, including 6 women and 2
children were charred alive.
The recent tragedy (in Bog-
tui) looks like an intra-TMC
clash over the loot from the
illegal stone and sand trade.
In this column I would like
to chronicle in short… the
dance of death that has
wrought havoc to our Sonar
Bangla. Naxalism was
crushed following violence
after the Congress won the
state Assembly polls in 1972.
However, till date… the
chronicled figure of the toll
has never been disclosed.
Governments have come
and gone but violence has
been constant. After the Left
Front came to power in West
Bengal in 1977, the govern-
ment, two years later, forcibly
evicted refugees who had set-
tled in Marichjhapi in the
Sunderbans areas. It was per-
haps reportedly the most hor-
rific manner in which police
in the post-Independent era
had acted even as these refu-
gees had been promised a re-
hab scheme by the Front in its
poll campaign! But in reality
what happened after the Left
came to power was something
shocking! It was once again
exhibited that these hapless
people “belonged to no one!”
When and where will this
dance of death end is the
question everyone is asking.
Isn’t it time, we looked back
and told ourselves that
enough is enough and what is
the message we are passing
on to others about ourselves?
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY
THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL
WHEN WILL THIS
DANCE OF DEATH END?
T
Governments have come
and gone but violence has
been constant. After the Left
Front came to power in WB
in 1977, the government, two
years later, forcibly evicted
refugees who had settled in
Marichjhapi in the
Sunderbans areas. It was
perhaps reportedly the most
horrific manner in which
police in the post-
Independent era had acted
even as these refugees had
been promised a rehab
scheme by the Front in its
poll campaign! But in
reality what happened after
the Left came to power was
something shocking! It was
once again exhibited that
these hapless people
“belonged to no one!” When
and where will this dance of
death end is the question
everyone is asking. Isn’t it
time, we looked back and
told ourselves that enough is
enough and what is the
message we are passing on
to others about ourselves?
ROBIN ROY
The writer is Senior Associate Editor,
Free Press Journal, Mumbai and
former Managing Editor, First India
DEATHS THAT HAVE
WROUGHT HAVOC TO
SONAR BANGLA

z On July 21, 1993 during the
Left Front rule, around 13
people were killed during a
rally demanding that photo
voter identity cards be
made mandatory for free
and fair elections

z In 2000, 11 agricultural
wage labourers were killed
in Nanoor

z In 2001, 11 TMC supporters
were burnt alive in Chhoto
Angaria

z In 2007, 14 were shot dead
by the police at Nandigram

z In 2011, 9 people, including
4 women, were shot dead
in Netai village

z In 2014, Buddhadeb
Bhattachrjee, who was CM
at the time of the carnage,
admitted that “it was very
wrong… our boys had
made a mistake, a very bad
mistake”. But then it was
TOO LATE, Mr Bhattacharjee!

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INDIA
05
PM addresses BJP leaders, tells
them to take up social justice work
New Delhi (PTI):
Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi asked BJP
MPs on Tuesday to un-
dertake various pro-
grammes as part of “sa-
majik nyay pakhwada”
(fortnight dedicated to
social justice) from its
foundation day on April
6, and also asserted that
it is the only ruling par-
ty which has recognised
contributions of every
Prime Minister by
building a museum to
honour them.
With the birth anni-
versary of BR Ambed-
kar, architect of the
Constitution, falling on
April 14, PM Modi at the
BJP’s parliamentary
party meeting asked
party MPs to reach out
to people, especially the
disadvantaged sections
of society like Sched-
uled Castes, to high-
light various govern-
ment programmes for
their welfare.
Quoting him, Union
Minister Arjun Ram
Meghwal told reporters
that PM Modi asked
parliamentarians to
work to spread aware-
ness about the central
government’s welfare
schemes for housing,
nutrition and free
grains among others.
With a museum dedi-
cated to all former
Prime Ministers of In-
dia set to be inaugurat-
ed on April 14, PM Modi
noted his address from
the ramparts of Red
Fort on August 15 in
which he had lauded
their contributions.
“He said we are the
only ones to have ac-
knowledged former
Prime Ministers’ con-
tributions irrespective
of the party they came
from,” a BJP MP said.
The BJP has often ac-
cused the Congress,
which has ruled the
country for much of the
period since Independ-
ence, of glorifying the
Prime Ministers from
its ruling Nehru-Gan-
dhi family while ignor-
ing others.
“This is essentially
democratisation of na-
tional recognition and
articulation of popular
gratitude towards all of
our former Prime Min-
isters,” BJP MP Vinay
Sahasrabuddhe said.
That the museum is
being inaugurated on
BR Ambedkar’s birth
anniversary is a recog-
nition of the democrat-
ic architecture he be-
queathed to the country
,
another party leader
said, referring to PM
Modi’s speech.
PM Modi also noted
that the birth anniver-
sary of noted social re-
former Jyotirao Phule
falls on April 11.
An exhibition on the
movement for India’s
Independence was also
held at Ambedkar In-
ternational Centre, the
meeting’s venue, where
PM Modi arrived earli-
er than its scheduled
beginning.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked MPs to reach out to disadvantaged section of society to highlight various govt schemes.
POLITICAL CONSPIRACY
Aaditya dismisses
‘Matoshree’ controversy
Mumbai (Agencies):
Cabinet Minister and
Shiv Sena leader Aadi-
tya Thackeray, who is
on a visit to the Konkan
region of Maharashtra,
has for the first time re-
acted to reports about
the mention of a ‘Ma-
toshree’ (also the name
of the Thackeray resi-
dence) in Shiv Sena
leader and former Bri-
hanmumbai Municipal
Corporation (BMC)
standing committee
chairman Yashwant
Jadhav’s diary which
was purportedly recov-
ered by Income Tax of-
ficials during a raid.
Responding to a
question from report-
ers, Mr Thackeray said,
“We have to decide how
much to believe these
rumours. Defamation
is being done by
spreading rumours,
the system is being
used. It’s a political
conspiracy. This dirty
politics must stop.”
The Thackeray fami-
ly lives in Kalanangar
in the Bandra suburb of
Mumbai and their fam-
ily home is called ‘Ma-
toshree’. The word Ma-
toshree is often used by
Sainiks (Shiv Sena
workers) to refer to the
top leadership of the
party. Literally, the
word means ‘Mother’.
The BJP is trying to
corner the Shiv Sena on
this issue and has been
taking potshots using
the media reports about
the diary. The Income
Tax department has
made no mention of the
diary anywhere so far.
Maha govt withdraws
demolition order on
Narayan Rane’s home
Mumbai (Agencies):
The Maharashtra gov-
ernment on Tuesday in-
formedtheBombayHigh
Court that it has with-
drawnanordertodemol-
ish illegal constructions
in the bungalow owned
by Union MSME Minis-
ter Narayan Rane.
Advocate General
Ashutosh Kumbhakoni
made the submission
before a division bench
of Justices AA Sayed
and MS Karnik.
The statement fol-
lowed a plea against the
March 21 order of the
Collector ordering Rane
to remove the alleged
unauthorised construc-
tions carried out in the
bungalow failing which
the authorities con-
cerned would raze it.
Kumbhakonialsosaid
thatthegovernmentwill
consider any applica-
tion by Rane seeking
regularisation of the
purported illegalities
before taking action in
thematter,andthecourt
allowed the state liberty
to initiate any fresh nec-
essary action in accord-
ance with the law.
Even as a huge row
erupted between the
Maha Vikas Aghadi
government and the op-
position Bharatiya Ja-
nata Party, Rane had
challenged the Collec-
tor’s order citing vari-
ous grounds.
These included that
therewasnoshowcause
notice preceding the or-
der nor a reply sought,
no hearings were con-
ducted prior to passing
the order, it was without
jurisdiction or powers
and arbitrary, violated
the fundamental rights
of the petitioner, etc.
Following the state
government’s submis-
sions, the high court
disposed of Rane’s plea.
Narayan Rane
Rakesh Tikait
Aaditya Thackeray
BKU activists’
arrest:Tikait starts
indefinite protest
BJP MLA Ramesh Tawadkar
elected Goa Assembly Speaker
Panaji (PTI): Bharatiya
JanataParty(BJP)MLA
fromCanacona,Ramesh
Tawadkar, was elected
as the Speaker of the
eighth Goa Legislative
Assembly on Tuesday
.
Pro-tem Speaker
movedthemotiononthe
election for the Speaker
when the House began
on Tuesday
.
Given the BJP’s
strength in the House —
with the party having 20
out of 40 of the MLAs,
and the support of inde-
pendents and the Maha-
rashtrawadi Gomantak
Party (MGP) — Tawad-
kar’s victory was more
or less certain when he
filed his nomination on
March 27.
He won by nine votes,
defeating the Opposi-
tion Congress candi-
date Aleixo Sequeira by
24 votes to 15.
Muzaffarnagar (PTI):
BKU leader Rakesh Ti-
kait on Tuesday started
an indefinite dharna
along with his support-
ers at a police station
here against the arrest
of some activists of the
farmer outfit.
Ten activists of the
Bhartiya Kisan Union
(BKU) were arrested
following a clash at the
district hospital here on
Monday night, police
said.
Protesting at the Kot-
wali police station here,
Tikaitdemandedtheim-
mediate release of the
activists, alleging that
they have been falsely
implicated in the case.
Police said the BKU
men were demanding
an immediate medical
examination of people
who had suffered inju-
ries in a clash earlier.
‘Need for dialogue with Pak on nukes’
New Delhi (PTI): Voic-
ing concern over the ac-
cidental firing of a mis-
sile that landed in Paki-
stan, Congress leader
Manish Tewari on
Tuesday called for an
institutionalised dia-
logue on nuclear issues.
Raising the matter
during Zero Hour, he
said facts suggest that
Pakistan had prepared
a retaliatory strike
when the missile had
entered their territory
.
“The trajectory of
the missile had a large
number of civilian air-
craft in its vicinity and
there could have been
an unintended catastro-
phe. We were lucky on
that particular day,”
Tewari said.
The Lok Sabha mem-
ber from Anandpur Sa-
hib said the incident
makes a strong case for
an institutionalised dia-
logue with Pakistan on
nuclear issues.
He said Defence Min-
ister Rajnath Singh had
made a statement on
the issue on March 15
and informed the House
that a Court of Inquiry
had been ordered to
probe the incident.
According to the de-
fence ministry, one
missile got accidental-
ly released around 7
pm on March 9 during
a routine maintenance
and inspection of the
missile unit.
Pak was ready for ‘retaliatory’ strike after missile incident, says Tewari
Congress leader Manish Tewari
Newly elected Goa Speaker
Ramesh Tawadkar (C)
Creators of
Bulli Bai, Sulli
Deals apps
granted bail
New Delhi (PTI): A Del-
hi court has granted bail
tothe‘BulliBai’appcase
accused Niraj Bishnoi
and ‘Sulli Deals’ app cre-
ator Omkareshwar
Thakur on humanitari-
an grounds.
The court considered
that the accused are first
time offenders and con-
tinued incarceration
would be detrimental to
their overall wellbeing.
The court had im-
posed strict conditions
on the accused so that
they could not threaten
any witness and temper
anyevidence.Thecondi-
tions include that the ac-
cused person would not
try to contact, influence,
induce any victim. The
open source apphad up-
loadedphotosof over100
Muslim women without
their permission.
LTTE terror funding: NIA chargesheets six
New Delhi (ANI): The
National Investigation
Agency (NIA) on Tues-
day filed a chargesheet
against six accused in
the Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
terror funding case.
Those named in the
charge sheet are identi-
fied as Letchumanan
Mary Franciska, Ken-
niston Fernando,
Baskaran,JohnsonSam-
uvel, G. Dharmendran,
and E Mohan. The
chargesheetwasfiledbe-
fore a special NIA court,
Poonamallee, Chennai.
The main accused,
Letchumanan Mary
Franciska, a 50-year-old
woman, was arrested at
Chennai Airport last
year for holding a fake
Indian passport.
The case was regis-
tered by Tamil Nadu
Police and taken over
by the NIA on January
18 this year.
The case pertains to a
criminal conspiracy to
revive the LTTE by com-
mitting forgery for
cheating besides using
forged documents as
genuine to divert funds
lodged in dormant ac-
countstocommitunlaw-
ful and terror activities.
During the investiga-
tion, it was found that
Letchumanan Mary
Franciska, T. Kenniston
Fernando and K.
Baskaran entered into a
conspiracy with foreign
entities to siphon off de-
posits in dormant bank
accounts by using Indi-
an identity documents
obtained fraudulently
and forging identity
documents to revive, re-
vamp and regroup
LTTE in India and Sri
Lanka, said the NIA.
“They were abetted
by Johnson Samuvel,
Dharmendran and Mo-
han in forging Indian
identity documents.”
Founded in May 1976
by Velupillai Prabha-
karan, the LTTE was
involved in armed
clashes against the Sri
Lankan government
and armed forces.
Members of National Investigation Agency (NIA). —FILE PHOTO
Man held for `1,200-crore crypto fraud
New Delhi (PTI): The
EnforcementDirectorate
onTuesdaysaidithasar-
rested an accused in con-
nection with its money
launderingprobeagainst
a Kerala-based business-
man, who is alleged to
have cheated more than
900 investors to the tune
of `1,200 crore in lieu of
providing cryptocurren-
cy to them.
Abdul Gafoor, one of
the main stockists of the
‘Morris Coin Cryptocur-
rency’, was taken into
custodyonMar24,itsaid.
He was produced be-
fore a court the next day
and sent to ED custody
till March 31.
The federal investiga-
tion agency alleged Mr
Gafoorwasnotcooperat-
ing with the investiga-
tion and was “very eva-
sive” in his replies.
“Considering the fact
that Gafoor is one of the
directors of Stoxglobal
BrokersPvt.Ltd.andhas
played active role in fa-
cilitating the placement
and layering of proceeds
of crime, he has been
placed under arrest on
Mar24,”theagencysaid.
The ED case of mon-
ey laundering stems
from a Kerala Police
(Malappuram crime
branch unit) FIR filed
against prime accused
in the case, business-
man Nishad K.
MANAGEMENT EXCELLENCE
BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal on Tuesday received the SKOCH Public Service
Award for managing the coronavirus pandemic, in New Delhi. The award was presented to
him for going beyond the call of duty while managing the coronavirus pandemic in Mumbai.
SKOCH Award is considered to be one of the highest civilian honour in the country.
Sent to ED custody
till Mar 31 for duping
over 900 investors
GROUNDS
Humanitarian
This is
essentially
democratisation
of national recognition
and articulation of
popular gratitude
towards all of our former
Prime Ministers.
Vinay Sahasrabuddhe,
BJP MP

INDIA
06
New Delhi: India has
one of the “lowest” 374
Covid-19 deaths per mil-
lion population, accord-
ing to the World Health
Organisation, com-
pared to similarly af-
fected countries like the
USA, Brazil, Russia and
Mexico, the govern-
ment said on Tuesday
.
In a written reply,
Minister of State for
Health Bharati Pravin
Pawar told the Rajya
Sabha that at times, cer-
tain reports have specu-
lated excess Covid-19
deaths, that is, higher
than the official number
of Covid-19 fatalities re-
ported by India.
“These reports have
mostly relied on unvali-
dated methodologies, or
data sources used to de-
rive ‘estimates’ are not
reliable.
India has ‘lowest’ 374 Covid deaths per million: Centre
CITING WHO DATA
New Delhi: In a major reshuffle, the Ministry of
Home Affairs (MHA) appointed Arunachal Pradesh-
Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre
IPS officer Neeraj Thakur as Director-General of
Police Andaman and Nicobar The 1994-batch
AGMUT cadre IPS officer Thakur is currently serving
as Special Commissioner of Police, Delhi Police.
The MHA also transferred incumbent Andaman and
Nicobar DGP Satyendra Garg to Delhi.
Washington: India and United States are scheduled
to hold 2+2 dialogue in Washington on April 11.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence
Minister Rajnath Singh will meet their counterparts
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defence
Secretary Lloyd Austin. Jaishankar and Rajnath
Singh will also have other meetings scheduled. The
last 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue between the two coun-
tries was held in October 2020 in New Delhi.
New York: Seven Indian-origin
persons have been charged by
US federal authorities with insider
trading in a scheme through which
they made over a million dollars
in illegal profits. Hari Prasad Sure,
34, Lokesh Lagudu, 31 and Chotu
Prabhu Tej Pulagam, 29, are friends and worked as
software engineers at Twilio, a San Francisco-based
cloud computing communications company.
New Delhi: The Pradhan Mantri Sangrahalaya, a mu-
seum dedicated to Prime Ministers of India, will be
inaugurated on April 14 to coincide with BR Ambed-
kar’s birth anniversary, sources in the BJP said on
Tuesday. Being built at Delhi’s Teen Murti Estate, the
museum covers the life and times of all the 14 Indi-
an PMs so far and will showcase their contributions.
The collections and works of Jawaharlal Nehru will
stay at the Nehru Memorial Museum. The museum
which is coming up at a cost of Rs 271 crore.
MHA APPOINTS NEERAJ THAKUR AS DGP
ANDAMAN, JASPAL SINGH AS DGP GOA
INDIA, UNITED STATES TO HOLD 2+2
DIALOGUE ON APRIL 11 IN WASHINGTON
7 INDIAN-ORIGIN TECHIES BOOKED IN
$1 MILLION INSIDER TRADING IN US
MUSEUM DEDICATED TO PMs
OF INDIA TO OPEN ON APRIL 14
CRUCIAL READ
SHANGHAI RESIDENTS TOLD TO STAY
INSIDE AS COVID CASES SURGE
INDIA STANDS BY TRADE WITH RUSSIA
AS FOREIGN MIN LAVROV SET TO VISIT
‘DISTURBED’ BY LANKA CRISIS,
EAM ASKS ENVOY TO HELP
HIGHLIGHTS
HIGHLIGHTS
Shanghai: Shanghai cranked up lockdown restric-
tions for people residing in the eastern half of the
city, barring everyone from leaving their homes
even to walk their dogs as local daily Covid-19
infections jumped to a record 4,477 on Tuesday.
All residents in the Pudong district, home to many
elite financial institutions and the Shanghai Stock
Exchange, will be confined to their homes and
allowed out only to get a Covid test, according to a
statement issued by the area’s residential com-
pounds reviewed by Bloomberg News. Residents
shouldn’t walk in the hallways, garages in order to
reduce the risk of infection, Wu Qianyu, an official,
said during a briefing on Tuesday.
New Delhi: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
is set to fly to India this week, sources said, finding
time to visit to one of the biggest buyers of Russian
commodities since the international community be-
gan isolating Moscow. There is little sign that buying
will slow down any time soon. One source said the
two countries could discuss smoothening trade pay-
ments disrupted by Western sanctions.
New Delhi (PTI): Foreign Minister
S Jaishankar on Tuesday asked the
Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka
to help a hospital that has suspended
surgeries because of the shortage of
medicines. External Affairs Minister
S Jaishankar said he felt “disturbed”
at reading a Lankan journalist’s tweet
in the middle of a massive economic
crisis in the island nation.
India logs 1,259 new
Covid cases, 35 deaths
in 24 hours
Israeli Prime Minister
Naftali Bennett, who
contracted Covid-19, has
postponed his maiden
trip to India planned for
next week, his office said
on Tuesday.
Nationals of 171 coun-
tries had e-Visa before
Covid pandemic: MoS
home Nityanand Rai
l S Jaishankar meets Nepali, Bhutanese
counterparts on sidelines of BIMSTEC
l India, Sri Lanka sign six agreements to
boost bilateral cooperation
l Rajnath Singh holds telephonic conver-
sation with Israeli Defence Minister
l India to build 3 wind farms in Sri Lanka
l‘Keenly felt’ India, China agree to adhere
to consensus of not a threat to each other:
Wang Yi on his India visit’
BIMSTEC must crack
whip on terrorism: EAM
PM inaugurates
5.21 lakh houses
of PMAY scheme
Bhopal (PTI): Prime
Minister Narendra
Modi today inaugurat-
ed 5.21 lakh houses of
beneficiaries of the
Pradhan Mantri Awas
Yojna (PMAY)-Gramin
in Madhya Pradesh
while participating in
the ‘Grah Pravesham’
(house-warming), a cer-
emony to hand over
new houses to their
owners.
Addressing the pro-
gramme via video con-
ferencing, PM Modi
said his government
has given topmost pri-
ority to providing hous-
es to the poor people.
So far, 2.5 crore hous-
es have been construct-
ed under the PM Awas
Yojna scheme in the
country, including two
crore in rural areas, PM
Modi said.
Madhya Pradesh
Chief Minister Shivraj
Singh Chouhan partici-
pated in the programme
from Chattarpur in the
state.
On the occasion, PM
Modi also said that un-
der the ‘Nal-Jal’ scheme
in the country, six crore
families were provided
pure water tap connec-
tions in their houses.
Besides, over four
crore fake ration cards
have been cancelled
since 2014 by the pre-
sent government in the
country to prevent theft
of food grains worth
crores meant for the
poor, the PM said.
“We have the policy
to ensure that even the
last man in the queue
gets the benefit of gov-
ernment schemes,” he
said. PM Modi also
called upon people to
take a vow to construct
75 ‘amrit sarovar’
(ponds) in every district
of the country over the
next 12 months, as the
nation marks 75 years
of its independence.
Colombo (PTI): Exter-
nal Affairs Minister S
Jaishankar said on
Tuesday that the BIM-
STEC member states
must collectively com-
bat terrorism and vio-
lent extremism as he
emphasised India’s
commitment to inten-
sify, expand areas of
cooperation, especially
connectivity, energy
and maritime.
Speaking at the 18th
BIMSTEC Ministerial
Meeting in Colombo,
Jaishankar also said
that cooperation on
port facilities, ferry ser-
vices, coastal shipping,
grid connectivity and
motor vehicles move-
ment are key
.
“Must also collective-
ly combat terrorism,
violent extremism,
transnational crime,
cyber-attacks and nar-
co-trafficking,” he
tweeted.
“Emphasised our
commitment to inten-
sify and expand areas
of cooperation” he said.
“Will encourage ac-
tive business collabora-
tion and common pro-
jects to this end. Coop-
eration on port facili-
ties, ferry services,
coastal shipping, grid
connectivity and motor
vehicles movement are
key,” EAM tweeted.
EAM S Jaishankar participates in the 18th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and
Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Ministerial meeting, in Colombo on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY ANI
Lethal second
P-81 aircraft
squadron
commissioned
Second day of
‘Bharat Bandh’
sees mixed
response
UP bags ‘Best State’ award at
3rd National Water Awards
New Delhi (Agencies):
President Ram Nath Ko-
vind on Tuesday con-
ferred the ‘Best State’
award to Uttar Pradesh
followed by Rajasthan
and Tamil Nadu, at the
third National Water
Awards event held here.
The National Water
Awards are given by the
Ministry of Jal Shakti
for exemplary work in
the field of water man-
agement. The ‘Best Dis-
trict’ awards for the
north zone was bagged
by Muzaffarnagar (Ut-
tar Pradesh) and Sha-
hid Bhagat Singh Na-
gar (Punjab); for the
south zone, it was
Thiruvananthapuram
(Kerala) and Kadapa
(Andhra Pradesh); for
the east zone, East
Champaran (Bihar) and
Godda (Jharkhand)
won the award; Indore
(Madhya Pradesh) and
Vadodara (Gujarat) and
Banswara (Rajasthan)
won the awards in the
west zone while Goal-
para (Assam) and Siang
(Arunachal Pradesh)
won the awards for the
north-east zone.
The awards also in-
cluded zone wise ‘Best
Village Panchayat’,
‘Best Urban Local Body’
(Vapi in Gujarat, Dapoli
in Maharashtra and
Madurai in Tamil
Nadu); ‘Best Media
House’, ‘Best NGO’ cat-
egory and even ‘Best
Institution/RWA/reli-
gious organisation/
campus’. Another di-
rect user category of
awards was ‘Best Water
User Association’.
Government Girls
Higher Secondary
School, Kaveripattinam
in Tamil Nadu, Amalor-
pavam Lourds Acade-
my, Thiruvallur, Pu-
ducherry and Amity
International School,
Noida, UP won the
awards in Best School
category
.
Goa: The Indian Navy’s
second P-8I aircraft
squadron has been com-
missioned into the Navy
on Tuesday. The cere-
mony for the Indian Na-
val Air Squadron 316
was held at INS Hansa
in Goa, and Admiral R
Hari Kumar, the Chief
of the Naval Staff, was
the chief guest.
INAS 316 has been
christened ‘Condors’,
whose insignia depicts
a condor searching over
the vast blue expanse of
the sea. Condors are
known for excellent
sensory capabilities,
powerful and sharp tal-
ons and large wings.
The INAS 316 will op-
erate the Boeing P-8I
aircraft, a multirole
long-range maritime re-
connaissance anti-sub-
marine warfare air-
craft, which can be
equipped with a range
of air-to-ship missiles
and torpedoes.
New Delhi (ANI): The
48-hour ‘Bharat Bandh’
called by different trade
unions to protest
against government
policies continued for
the second day in sev-
eral states on Tuesday
.
A joint forum of cen-
tral trade unions had
given a call for a nation-
wide strike on March 28
and March 29.
The demands of the
trade unions include
scrapping of the labour
codes, rollback of priva-
tisation in any form,
scrapping of the Na-
tional Monetisation
Pipeline (NMP), in-
creased allocation of
wages under MNREGA
(Mahatma Gandhi Ru-
ral Employment Guar-
antee Act), and regu-
larisation of contract
workers among others.
This is the first such
strike after the BJP won
the Assembly elections
in four of five States.
President Ram Nath Kovind hands over an award to UP BJP
president Swatantra Dev Singh for winning the first prize in the
best state category, in New Delhi on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY ANI
PM Modi addresses at the
launch of ‘Grih Pravesham’
via video conferencing, in
New Delhi on Tuesday. MP CM
Shivraj Singh Chouhan also
present. —PHOTO BY ANI
3,400 communal riot
cases from ’16 to ’20
New Delhi: Nearly
3,400 communal riot
cases were registered in
the country between
2016 and 2020, Union
Minister of State for
Home Nityanand Rai
said in Lok Sabha on
Tuesday. The minister
also said that 2.76 lakh
rioting cases were reg-
istered in the country
during the said period.
Quoting the reports
of the National Crime
Records Bureau
(NCRB), Rai said 857
communal or religious
riot cases were regis-
tered in 2020, 438 in
2019, 512 in 2018, 723 in
2017 and 869 in 2016.
HIGHLIGHTS
34 outsiders purchased
assets in JK after
abrogation of Article 370:
MHA to Lok Sabha
466 FCRA licence renewal
applications of NGOs
declined since 2020, govt
tells Lok Sabha
1,205 paramilitary
personnel committed
suicide in 10 years, says
Nityanand Rai
Lakhimpur case: Had opposed bail plea of
Ashish Mishra, UP Govt tells apex court
SC: ENV MUST PREVAIL OVER
OTHER RIGHTS, FORESTS
HAVE TO BE PRESERVED
PLEA MOVED IN APEX COURT
CHALLENGING DELIMITATION
EXERCISE IN JK
New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government on Tues-
day told Supreme Court that it had opposed the bail
plea of Ashish Mishra, son of Union minister Ajay
Mishra, in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri vio-
lence that left eight people, including four farmers,
dead. It also stated that the “attack” on a witness in
the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case had nothing to do
with the case — as alleged — but was the outcome
of some people throwing gulal on the person. The
UP government said that the submission of the
petition that state did not effectively oppose the bail
application of Ashish Mishra is “completely untrue.”
New Delhi (PTI): The environment
“must prevail” over other rights
and forests must be preserved, the
Supreme Court said while hear-
ing a matter which involved issues
regarding forest and non-forest land
in Haryana. The SC stressed upon the
need to preserve forests and said it is
because of strict interpretation by the
SC that the forest cover is increasing.
“Environment is more important than
your civil rights,” a Bench headed by
Justice AM Khanwilkar said, adding,
“The environment must prevail over
all other rights”.
New Delhi (ANI): A petition has been
moved in the Supreme Court chal-
lenging the increase of the number of
seats in the Union Territory of Jammu
and Kashmir from 107 to 114. The
plea was filed by two residents of
Jammu and Kashmir. The petitioner
sought to declare that the increase
in the number of seats in JK, as
provided in the J-K Reorganisation
Act, 2019, is ultra vires the constitu-
tional provisions such as Articles 81,
82, 170, 330 and 332 and statutory
provisions particularly Section 63 of
the JK Reorganisation Act, 2019.
IN THE COURTYARD

BIZ BUZZ
07
Promoted by
AU Small Finance Bank
Petrolpastthe
`100-MARK
New Delhi
(PTI): Petrol
prices in the
n a t i o n a l
capital as
well as
most state
c ap i t a l s
c r o s s e d
`100 a litre
mark as its
rates on Tuesday were
hiked by 80 paise a li-
tre and that of diesel
by 70 paise, taking the
total increase since
last week to `4.80/L.
Petrol in Delhi will
now cost `100.21 per
litre against `99.41
previously, while die-
sel rates have gone
up from `90.77 per
litre to `91.47, ac-
cording to a price
notification
of state
fuel re-
tailers.
Rates
have been
i n c r e a s e d
across the
country and
vary from
state to
state, de-
pending
upon the
incidence of
local taxation.
Petrol price in the
national capital had
last crossed `100 a li-
tre mark on July 7,
2021, and went on to
touch an all-time high
of `110.04 before the
Modi government on
November 4 reduced
excise duty on auto fu-
els. Most states
matched that cut with
a reduction in local
sales tax or VAT.
This is the seventh
increase in prices
since the ending of a
four-and-half-month
long hiatus in rate re-
vision on March 22.
On the first four occa-
sions, prices were in-
creased by 80 paise a
litre. On the following
days, petrol price went
up by 50 paise and 30
paise a litre, while die-
sel rose by 55 paise and
35 paise a litre.
In all, petrol and die-
sel prices have gone up
by `4.80 per litre -
the
steepest increase in
any eight days since
the daily price revi-
sion was implemented
in June 2017.
In Mumbai, petrol
comes for `115.0/L,
while in Chennai, it is
priced at `105.94 and
in Kolkata at `109.68.
Diesel is priced at
`99.25/L in Mumbai,
Rs 96 in Chennai and
Rs 94.62 in Kolkata.
Rajasthan’s Ganga-
nagar district has the
costliest fuel in the
country at `117.14 per
litre for petrol and
`99.96 for diesel.
New Delhi (Agencies):
India has contracted
45,000 tonnes of Rus-
sian sunflower oil at a
record high price for
shipments in April as
edible oil prices in the
local market surged af-
ter supplies from rival
Ukraine stopped be-
cause of the war, five
industry officials said.
Sunflower oil from
Russia could help the
world’s biggest edible
oil importer in easing
the shortfall at a time
when availability of
vegetable oils is
stretched because of In-
donesia’s decision to
restrict palm oil sup-
plies and lower soybean
crop in South America.
“As vessel loading is
not possible in Ukraine,
buyers are trying to se-
cure supplies from Rus-
sia,” said Pradeep
Chowdhry, managing
director of Gemini Edi-
bles Fats India Pvt
Ltd, which contracted
12,000 tonnes of Rus-
sian sunflower oil for
April shipments.
Refiners bought
crude sunflower oil at a
record price of $2,150 a
tonne, including cost,
insurance and freight
(CIF), in India for
April ship-
ments, com-
pared with
$1,630 before
Russia invad-
ed Ukraine.
India buys Russian sunoil at record price
India has contracted
45,000 tonnes of
Russian sunflower oil
at a record high price
Publicsecbankssufficiently
capitalised:MoSFinance
New Delhi (PTI): The
government has in-
fused capital amount-
ing to `2,86,043 crore in
public sector banks
(PSBs) during the last
five years and they are
sufficiently capital-
ised, Parliament was
informed on Tuesday
.
The government in-
fused about `3 lakh
crore between 2017-18
and 2021-22.
As per inputs re-
ceived from RBI, Capi-
tal to Risk-weighted
Assets Ratio (CRAR)
of PSBs has improved
substantially over the
past three years, in-
creasing from 12.20%
at the end of 2018-19 to
14.34% as on December
31, 2021, Minister of
State for Finance
Bhagwat K Karad said.
“As reflected in their
capital position as on
December 31, 2021,
PSBs are currently suf-
ficiently capitalised,”
he said.
With regard to Gen-
eral Insurance Corpo-
ration of India (GIC),
Karad said, no propos-
al to privatise GIC is
under consideration
of the government at
present. “Further, as
per inputs received, to-
tal assets outstanding
as on 31.3.2021 were
`38.04 lakh crore and
`1.35 lakh crore for LIC
and GIC, respectively,”
he said.
Govt to set up global
mkt intelligence network
New Delhi (PTI):
The government is
setting up a global
market intelligence
network to boost In-
dia’s exports from
the micro, small and
medium enterprises
sector, Union minis-
ter Narayan Rane
said on Tuesday
.
The Global Mar-
ket Intelligence Net-
work will act as a
knowledge reposito-
ry of export-related
data on foreign mar-
kets and facilitate
easier market access
for MSME exporters.
India’s MSME sec-
tor accounts for 45%
of its exports. There
is a huge untapped
potential to boost
outward shipments
from the segment.
However, lack of
credible trade-relat-
ed data on overseas
markets has been
one of the key bottle-
necks impeding the
MSME sector from
realising its true ex-
port potential by tap-
ping new market op-
portunities.
Rane said the gov-
ernment is keen to
strengthen the
MSME sector.
“Our focus is on
providing easy cred-
it, better technology
support and access
to the export mar-
kets. We want our
MSME sector to be-
come competitive
and grow,” MSME
minister said.
BCCI floats IPL media rights tender for 2023-27
New Delhi (PTI): Eye-
ingawindfallof closeto
Rs 50,000 crore, the In-
dian Cricket Board on
Tuesday floated the me-
dia rights tender for the
2023-2027 IPL seasons.
The BCCI will ar-
range an e-auction for
the new bidders for the
first time in IPL history
and it will commence
from June 12, board’s
secretaryJayShahsaid.
“With two new teams,
more matches, more en-
gagement, more venues,
we are looking to take
#TataIPL to newer and
greater heights,” Shah
posted on his Twitter
handle. “I’ve no doubts
that with this process
therewillnotonlyberev-
enue maximisation but
alsovaluemaximisation,
which will benefit India
Cricket immensely
.”
Disney Plus Hostar is
the only live streaming
platform of the IPL in
India. With the expan-
sion of IPL from 60 to 74
matches after the inclu-
sion of the Gujarat and
Lucknow franchises,
thereislikelytobeabid-
ding war from its peers
which include Zee-Sony
andRelianceViacom18.
The BCCI is expect-
ing aggressive bidding
for the digital space
between the likes of
Amazon Prime, Meta
and YouTube. The de-
tailed terms and condi-
tions are mentioned in
‘Invitation to Tender’
(ITT) which will be
made available on re-
ceipt of payment of
non-refundable fee of
Rs 25 lakh excluding
GST, the BCCI said in a
statement.
Sensex jumps over 350
points; Nifty above 17,300
Mumbai (PTI):
Benchmark BSE
Sensex rallied over
350 points on Tues-
day following gains
in index majors
HDFC twins, Bharti
Airtel and Infosys
amid a largely posi-
tive trend in global
equity markets.
The 30-share BSE
b a r o m e t e r
j u m p e d
3 5 0 . 1 6
points or
0.61% to
settle at
5 7 , 9 4 3 . 6 5 .
During the day,
it rallied 408.04
points or 0.70%
to 58,001.53.
The broader
NSE Nifty gained
103.30 points or 0.60%
to settle at 17,325.30.
From the 30-share
pack, HDFC, Bharti
Airtel, UltraTech Ce-
ment, HDFC Bank,
Dr Reddy’s, Sun
Pharma, Infosys IC-
ICI Bank were among
the lead gainers.
Mumbai (PTI): Continuing its winning streak
for a fourth straight session, the rupee on
Tuesday appreciated by 19 paise to 75.97
against the US dollar. At the interbank forex
market, the local unit opened higher at 75.97
but lost some of the gains to touch the day’s
low of 76.15. It witnessed an intra-day high of
75.90. The rupee quoted at 75.97 at 1600 hrs,
registering a rise of 19 paise over its previous
close.
` SURGES BY 19 PAISE TO 75.97
AGAINST US DOLLAR
Regulator’s 5G
recommendations in
7-10 days: Trai secy
New Delhi (PTI): Tel-
ecom regulator Trai’s
much-awaited recom-
mendations on 5G
spectrum pricing and
other modalities will
come out in the next
7-10 days, a senior of-
ficial said on Tuesday
.
Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India
(Trai) Secretary V
Raghunandan said
that the spectrum ref-
erence given to the
regulator spanned
multiple bands and
thereby involved de-
tailed and exhaustive
deliberations.
“We are in the final
stages, and will come
out with the recom-
mendations shortly in
7-10 days,” Raghunan-
dan said.
Trai’s views on
spectrum pricing and
other nuances are cru-
cial as it will set the
pace for the auctions
and subsequent roll-
out of the fifth-gener-
ation services that
will usher in ultra-
high-speed and
spawn new-age ser-
vices and business
models. The telecom
industry was expect-
ing the regulator’s rec-
ommendations to
come by March-end.
BOEING DEVELOPS 10
YEAR ROADMAP FOR AAI
New Delhi (PTI): Boe-
ing has developed a
comprehensive 10-year
roadmap for the Centre-
run AAI to modernise
its air traffic manage-
ment, the US-based
aerospace company
said on Tuesday
.
“The roadmap aims
to drive operational ex-
cellence and offer en-
hanced air traffic ca-
pacity for our fly-
ing public, and
improved naviga-
tion, com-
m u -
n i c a - tion and
surveillance for our
users, making Indian
skies seamless and saf-
er to operate in,” AAI
Chairman Sanjeev Ku-
mar said.
The AAI manages the
commercial traffic in
the Indian airspace. It
also runs more than 100
airports across the
country
.
The project “to de-
velop a comprehen-
s i v e
1 0 -
year Communication,
Navigation and Surveil-
lance/Air Traffic Man-
agement (CNS/ATM)
modernisation road-
map” was undertaken
with a grant from the
United States Trade and
Development Agency
(USTDA), Boeing said.
As part of the pro-
ject, Boeing worked
closely with the
DGCA, the air-
lines operating
in India, air-
port opera-
tors and oth-
er airspace
stakeholders, it
added. Boeing
and the AAI had
signed an agreement
in 2019 to jointly de-
velop the
roadmap.
Tata Steel appoints
Noel Tata as
additional director
New Delhi (PTI): Tata
Steel has appointed Noel
Naval Tata, a trustee on
the boards of Sir Ratan
Tata Trust and Sir Dorabji
Tata Trust, its additional
director and designated
him as the vice-
chairman. A decision in
this regard was taken
by the board of the
company at its meeting
held on Monday. “Based
on the recommendations
of the Nomination
and Remuneration
Committee, the Board
of Directors (have)
considered and
unanimously approved
the appointment of
Noel Naval Tata as an
Additional Director
(Non-Executive, Non-
Independent) effective
March 28, 2022.
Government to sell 1.5% stake in
ONGC via offer for sale
New Delhi: The government will sell 1.5% stake
in Oil and Natural Gas Corporation through an
offer for sale (OFS) on Wednesday, a move that’s
expected to shore up the centre’s divestment
receipts by over Rs 3,000 crore from the sale.
The offer for sale for 1.5 per cent equity stake
sale in ONGC, including a greenshoe option,
opens Wednesday, and retail investors can
place their bids on Thursday, Department of
Investment and Public Asset Management
Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey said.
Coal India’s FY’22 production likely
to exceed 620 million tonnes
Kolkata (PTI): Mining major Coal India Ltd
is set to post its highest-ever production
during the 2021-22 fiscal, topping the
620-million-tonne mark and bucking two
years of a declining streak of annual output, a
company official said. The miner’s production
for the current fiscal stood at 614.4 million
tonnes as of March 28. “We have crossed the
previous production highs... And may close
the year at around 622 million tonnes,” the
official said. Coal despatch is expected to
exceed 660 million tonnes for 2021-22.
Jay Shah @JayShah
I’m pleased to announce
that @BCCI has issued
the tender document for
@IPL media rights for
seasons 2023-27. With 2
new teams, more matches,
more engagement, more
venues, we are looking to
take #TataIPL to newer and
greater heights.
The Tender document is
now available for purchase.
For the first time in @IPL
history, the media rights
will be e-auctioned. The
e-auction will commence
from June 12th, 2022
#TATAIPL
I’ve no doubts that with this
process there will not only
be revenue maximisation
but also value maximisa-
tion, which will benefit
India Cricket immensely
#TATAIPL
With expansion of IPL
from 60 to 74 matches
after the inclusion of
the Gujarat and
Lucknow franchises,
there is likely to be a
bidding war from its
peers which include
Zee-Sony and
Reliance Viacom 18.
Jay Shah

COVID-19
UPDATE
WORLD
61,53,482
TOTAL DEATHS
41,82,38,579
TOTAL RECOVERED
5,97,57,654
ACTIVE CASES
48,41,49,715
TOTAL CASES
INDIA
5,21,098
TOTAL DEATHS
4,24,85,534
TOTAL RECOVERED
15,350
ACTIVE CASES
4,30,21,982
TOTAL CASES
As leaders, employees and
individuals, we have to be
conscious of our responsibility for
our behaviour and our output.
—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO Editor-in-Chief, First India
08
2NDFRONT
First India Bureau
Mumbai: “You would
hear a lot more about
Abhinav Manohar in
the future,” said Guja-
rat Titans captain
Hardik Pandya after the
IPL debutant displayed
remarkable hitting in
the final over to ensure
a five-wicket win over
Lucknow Super Giants
here on Monday
.
With Titans needing
11 off the final over,
Manohar smashed
back-to-back fours off
Avesh Khan to make the
task much easier for his
team. With the confi-
dence he showed under
extreme pressure, it did
not look like he was
playing his first game
on a big stage like the
IPL.
“Manohar is some-
one to look at with the
talent he has. He is
someone who you are
going to hear about in
the future. Rahul Tewa-
tia was sensational as
well,” said Hardik at
the post-match presen-
tation.
Hardik, who played
his first game since No-
vember last year,
bowled four overs and
scored 33 batting at
number four.
“Mostly, I’ll bat at
number four, because I
want to take pressure
with my experience so
that the others can play
freely. We want to win
as a team and nobody
can take the contribu-
tion away from any-
way,” he said.
He was all praise for
pacer Mohammad Sha-
mi who bowled a sensa-
tional spell with the
new ball.
“This was the right
game for us to be on ei-
ther side and learn, but
have learnt a lot by win-
ning. Shami is known
for his seam positions
and he got us to a great
start. We would have
any day taken 160 on
this wicket,” he said re-
ferring to Super Giants
158 for six.
‘Manohar is someone you are going to hear about’
IPL 2022
lll
Guj Titans
captain Hardik
Pandya
gushes over
youngster
who smashed
back-to-back
fours in final
over againt
Lucknow
Super Giants
Abhinav Manohar sizzled with the bat in the Titans’ IPL debut
against Lucknow Super Giants on Monday.
Estranged wife of
Bharatsinh Solanki
seeks protection
First India Bureau
Anand: Reshma
Solanki, the es-
tranged wife of for-
mer Gujarat
Pradesh Congress
Committee presi-
dent Bharatsinh
Solanki on Tuesday
demanded police
protection, alleging
that she has been
receiving threats
against her life and
that she has been a
victim of domestic
violence.
“I fled to the United
States for some time
for my safety as I was
receiving threats.
When I returned, I
tried to enter the
housetwo-threetimes
but he (Bharatsinh)
threw me out. He has
threatened to kill me
if Itrytocomebackto
the house,” she said.
“My parents and
siblings are suffering
socially due to the ru-
mours he has spread
about my family
,” she
added.
A few months ago,
Bharatsinh had
placed an ad in local
papersaccusingResh-
maof behaving“arbi-
trarily”. He made a
public statement that
he would not be held
responsible for any
financialtransactions
carried out with his
wife, from whom he
has been separated
for four years.
She had responded
with a notice of her
own, making their
spat very public
“Having no other
option left, I had to
turntocourtandhave
also asked the Super-
intendent of Police,
Anand to give me pro-
tection,” Reshma told
themediaonTuesday
.
Rebutting rumours
of a divorce, she add-
ed, “I am an Indian
andwillonlyleavemy
husband upon my
death.”
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Nirav Bakshi, the councillor from Ahmedabad’s Dariyapur ward participates in a bike rally
after taking charge as city Congress chief on Tuesday. —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI
First India Bureau
Vadodara: Vadodara
and Banswara were
declared joint second
winners among best
performing districts
in the west zone, after
Indore, in the Nation-
al Water Awards an-
nounced on Tuesday.
Uttar Pradesh, Ra-
jasthan and Tamil
Nadu have secured the
first, second and third
prizes, respectively, in
the best state category.
Muzaffarnagar in UP
and Shahid Bhagat Sin-
gh Nagar in Punjab se-
cured the first and sec-
ond position respec-
tively among best per-
forming districts in
north while Thiru-
vanathapuram and Ka-
dapa in Andhra
Pradesh secured the
first and second rank
in the south zone.
East Champaran in
Bihar, and Godda in
Jharkhand secured the
first and second rank
respectively in the east
zone.
Vadodara is the first
and only district in the
country to present a
model of water man-
agement through the
integrated integration
of five different aspects
of proper water man-
agement through
Panch Jal Setu, offi-
cials said.
V’dara gains recognition
for water conservation
Court awards 3-yr jail to
teachers for beating child
First India Bureau
Ahmedabad: An addi-
tional district and
sessions court on
Tuesday found two
teachers guilty of
beating up a five-year-
old student in a cor-
poral punishment in-
cident that occurred
in 2017. To set a prec-
edent, the court
awarded three years
imprisonment to both
the accused and di-
rected the district
education officer to
carry out a depart-
mental inquiry fol-
lowed by stern action
in the case.
While announcing
the verdict, Additional
District Sessions
Judge TA Bhadja, ob-
served, “Behaviour of
the accused in the
school was inappropri-
ate and inhumane,
which does not fall in
line with the teaching
profession. To set an
example, these teach-
ers need to be awarded
severe punishment.”
He added: “A teach-
er’s role is very impor-
tant for students’ inclu-
sive growth. For a very
silly reason, they ruth-
lessly beat up a child,
because of which, the
five-year-old has given
up studies. His future
is bleak.”
The court also noted
that the prosecution
successfully proved
the case and convinced
that the accused teach-
ers Tarunaben Parba-
tia and Nazmaben
Shaikh were guilty.
Public prosecutor Dhi-
raj Parmar had sub-
mitted relevant docu-
ments and with the
help of witnesses and
medical reports, pro-
vided evidence to get a
conviction.
In his complaint,
Manharbhai (name
changed), had told
Sarkhej police station
personnel that on June
22, 2017, he had found
marks on his son’s
body when he went to
pick him up from
school. Upon inquiring
with his teachers,
Tarunaben and Nazma-
ben, he was told that
his son was punished
for asking to drink wa-
ter and go to the wash-
room frequently. They
said that he was hung
upside down and beat-
en up by them after a
cotton piece was
stuffed in his mouth.
Union Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and
Minister of State for Food Processing Industries and Jal Shakti
of India Prahlad Singh Patel hand over the award to Vadodara
Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agarwal and Collector Atul Gor.
5-year-old was hung upside down beaten for asking to drink water frequently
WHAT HAPPENED
Patidars unhappy with
city Cong appointments
First India Bureau
Rajkot: Days after the
lead opposition Con-
gress party an-
nounced the appoint-
ment of its district
and city office-bear-
ers across Gujarat, its
Rajkot unit are up in
arms about the lead-
ership not appointing
any Patidar candi-
dates.
On Monday, a meet-
ing comprising mainly
Congress leaders of the
Patidar community was
convened. They decided
not to extend their sup-
port to the new city
president as the party
failed to appoint a
Patidar candidate in the
local leadership.
Arjun Khatariya has
been appointed as the
Rajkot district Con-
gress president while
Pradeep Trivedi was ap-
pointed the Rajkot city
president. In total, a list
of 19 city and district
presidents across Guja-
rat was announced
along with 25 vice presi-
dents and 75 general
secretaries.
Highly-placed sourc-
es within the Congress
party told First India,
“Yes, the Patidars are
upset as their commu-
nity members have
been overlooked for lo-
cal leadership posi-
tions. I feel it is a mis-
take.”
“Mitul Donga was a
strong Patidar leader
whose name was recom-
mended for both dis-
trict and city president
positions, but he de-
clined to take either of
them due to his busi-
ness commitments. The
issue erupted when the
names recommended
by him were not consid-
ered as they were not
influential leaders like
Donga,” added the
source.
A senior Congress
leader said, “If this is
the scenario when elec-
tions are nearing, it will
be difficult for Congress
to survive. I understand
that the leadership
needs to consider the
community factor, but
it is also equally impor-
tant to get a strong can-
didate.”
Congress leaders of Patidar community at a meeting on Monday.
Reshma and Bharatisinh Solanki. —FILE PHOTO

eha Jaiswal
doesn’t just
contain multi-
tudes, she dis-
plays them,
boldly
. She has
earned a huge
name in the fashion and
glamour industry at a
young age, catapulting
from an architect to a
supermodel without
missing a beat. For
Neha, becoming a fash-
ion icon seemed to be
written in the stars yet
she never failed to work
hard towards her
dreams, seeks inspira-
tion from her everyday
life and incidents.
Born in a family of
army officers, a certain
kind of pedigree for the
fashion field was never
on her side. Since being
a part of the Elite Miss
Rajasthan in 2016, Neha
has broken barriers
throughout her career.
The stunning model,
who has graced count-
less runways, magazine
covers, and designer
campaigns throughout
her still-burgeoning ca-
reer, has become a de-
fining face for what a
new-age supermodel
not only looks like but
thinks like.
When asked about
her journey and back-
ground, the diva said,
“Moving around vari-
ous cities has always
me evolve into a better
human, has helped me
develop knowledge
about various cultures
of the country, it adds
to your confidence and
helps develop a strong
personality. This has
helped me a lot in beau-
ty pageants.”
She further added, “I
bagged the Second Run-
ners up Miss Diva title
for the national-level
beauty pageant. And
though there were
many challenges dur-
ing the journey, espe-
cially before the pag-
eant, with the support
of my friends, family
and teachers, I man-
aged to excel and tap
my potential.” While
expressing gratitude,
Neha said, “I wasn’t
much prepared with
modelling and step-
ping in for EMR was
indeed an 11th-hour de-
cision. Gaurav Gaur,
director of Elite Miss
Rajasthan along with
senior supermodels
supported me big time.
They’re no less than a
family who helped me
grow and learn.”
Talking about her cur-
rentwork,Jaiswalshared,
“Iamworkingwithalead-
ing architecture company
inMumbaiandalsopursu-
ing modelling with Times
Talent, a talent agency
. I
have been blessed with
amazingopportunitiesand
looking forward to many
more.”
NEHA JAISWAL, A SUPERMODEL, WHO
WON THE PRESTIGIOUS TITLE OF ELITE
MISS RAJASTHAN 2021, IS KNOWN
FOR HER CHARISMA AND
MESMERISED EVERYONE WITH
HER BEAUTY, SHARES HER JOURNEY,
LIFE GOALS, STRUGGLES AND
ASPIRATION WITH CITY FIRST.
AHMEDABAD, WEDNESDAY,
MARCH 30, 2022
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/ahmedabad I twitter.com/
thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia 09
QUINTESSENTIAL
QUINTESSENTIAL
QUEEN
QUEEN OF FASHION
OF FASHION
MITALI DUSAD
mitalidusad01@gmail.com
N

10
ETC
PRAKRATI,
Model
FACE
OF
THE
DAY!
Aries
MARCH 21 - APRIL 20
Family life will cruise
along smoothly as you
resolve to remain
positive under all
circumstances. More
interest is required on the health front.
Steps taken on the property front are
likely to bring you nearer your goal.
Intense yearning for love can nudge
you towards the one you desire.
Gemini
MAY 21 - JUNE 21
Some issues that seem
unlikely to get resolved
on the family front will
begin to move towards
a solution. Good
options will be found by those
searching for property that fits their
pocket. You are likely to give a good
account of yourself in a competition. A
meeting will brighten your day.
Leo
JULY 24 - AUGUST 23
You may spend on
something not
previously catered for.
A suitable matrimonial
match for someone
eligible in the family can be expected.
Students will be able to keep pace on
the academic front and perform well.
Those starting on a romantic journey
will find the going smooth and joyful.
Libra
SEPTEMBER 24 - OCTOBER 22
Enrolling yourself with
health conscious people
in daily workouts is
likely to keep you fit and
energetic. You may
become instrumental in getting a
property issue settled amicably. Good
showing in exam or an interview will
get you firmly on the path to success.
Marriage may be on minds of eligible.
Sagittarius
NOVEMBER 23 - DECEMBER 22
You are likely to swim
with the tide on the
professional or
academic front. Issue
regarding an ancestral
property is likely to be settled amicably.
Those trying to study will get the right
environment at home without much
effort. Someone will undermine your
position, you will not lose your grace.
Aquarius
JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 19
Soaring reputation on
the work or academic
front will place you a
cut above the rest. No
problems are foreseen
on health and financial fronts. You
manage to play your cards well and
avoid getting involved in a contentious
issue at home. Getting serious about
someone on the romantic front.
Taurus
APRIL 21 - MAY 20
Much happiness is
foreseen on the home
front. A trip in future
with friends will not only
be exciting, but
refreshing too. This is a good time to
finalise property as stars are poised
favourably. Those pursuing higher
studies are likely to make their mark on
the academic front.
Cancer
JUNE 22 - JULY 23
You may take up some
activity or sport just to
keep trim and slim.
Good news may greet
you on the family front
as a suitable match is found for the
eligible. Those wanting to buy a
specific piece of real estate will find
their wish being fulfilled. There is a
good chance of falling in love.
Virgo
AUGUST 24 - SEPTEMBER 23
Something included in
your diet is likely to have
a positive effect on your
overall health.
Disturbances at home
will need to be curtailed to retain a
peaceful environment. You will get the
motivation to push yourself to the limit
on the academic front. You may open
up a bit to those who display positivity.
Scorpio
OCTOBER 23 - NOVEMBER 22
Financially you may
need to be more secure
than you are now. You
will be motivated to get
back into shape and
may even join a gym. Those thinking of
selling a property will be able to get
buyers with deep pockets. Handle
adjustment problems if you are a
newlywed with tact.
Capricorn
DECEMBER 23 - JANUARY 20
Something that you
wanted to get done on
the home front is likely
to be initiated now. A
household remedy may
come in handy for those suffering from
body aches and pains. An above
average performance on the academic
front will help to bring you into notice
of others.
Pisces
FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 20
Family will prove to be a
pillar of support for
those facing something
important. You may feel
financially secure, but
take a reality check before arriving at
any conclusion. You will need to follow
the directions in letter and spirit in
discharging a task. Differences on the
romantic front need to be curbed.
e first left Avi-
gnon, a city in
S o u t h e r n
France, at age 14,
exactly 500 years
ago, and trav-
elled across the
countryside exploring
and ‘researching’ herbal
and other native, or natu-
ral, remedies. He em-
barked on a career as an
apothecary, eight years
later (1529), following
which he enrolled at the
University of Montpelli-
er, for a doctorate in med-
icine. He was barred sub-
sequently when it was
discovered that he had
been an apothecary — a
chemist, mixing and
vending their medicines
— a ‘manual vocation,’
explicitly excluded by
the university edicts,
more so, because the se-
er-to-be was denigrating
doctors.
No prizes for guessing
who the preamble is
keyed to and whose spir-
it — if at all it is possible
— is cock-a-hoop at pre-
sent. You got it right
without fluttering your
eyelids — Michel de Nos-
tredame, or Nostrada-
mus, the famed mediae-
val seer, the man who
saw ‘tomorrow,’ even be-
fore it came, like never
before, or never after.
It’s no surprise, that,
from the time the COV-
ID-19 scourge — a catas-
trophe, caused by a sinis-
ter microorganism, nev-
er before incarnate in
history, brought the
world to its feet — the de-
mand for the master
crystal-ball gazer’s en-
crypted, puzzlingly ‘pos-
sible’ prophecies, in
print, and on the web,
has multiplied manifold
in a host of climes. Yet,
one big question has not
changed in its dimen-
sion. It continues to
‘haunt’ the laity, which
has lapped up the proph-
et’s work, lock, stock,
and barrel, as also the
scientific community
that has always had res-
ervations vis-à-vis its
prophecies.
Agreed that the under-
lying principle of Nos-
tradamus’ predictions
cannot be scientifically
validated, but what takes
the cake is their uncanny
‘gist’ for far-reaching
themes. While Nostrada-
mus sculpted most of his
prophecies with the best
of intentions, if not clar-
ity of purpose, several
have been manipulated
by his disciples, and oth-
ers, and also misinter-
preted, or twisted, by a
legion of scholars, who
may have shot into lime-
light soon after an ‘event’
— not necessarily before
it.
Yet, the fact is, Nos-
tradamus often acknowl-
edged that his prophe-
cies were perpetual,
based as they were on a
cyclical view of history.
Also, the seer’s model
was not as simplistic, al-
beit its principle was
faithful to the genre. Rea-
son — history is often
periodic, and what may
have happened at some
point in time is most
likely to happen again,
given the appropriate
‘planetary’ and human
conditions. Nostrada-
mus implied, no
less, that noth-
ing could
change the
p l a n e t a r y
variables.
However, the
only thing
that could
avoid, or bring
about the event in
question, as scholars ac-
knowledge, is human
fault, or (mis)demean-
our.
This brings us to the
idea Peter Lemesurier, a
noted Nostradamus re-
searcher and author of
“Nostradamus in the
21st Century,” examines
and puts forth, with an
attached sense of de-
tachment, especially
given the relevance of
the seer’s disturbing
prophecies. Picture this
— the death of Henry II,
the Great Fire of Lon-
don, Napoleon, Adolf
Hitler, the bombing of
Hiroshima and Nagasa-
ki, the assassination of
John Kennedy, the emer-
gence of Kim Jong-il,
COVID-19, the ongoing
Russian offensive,
among several other div-
inations.
Now, the COVID-19
‘horribilis’ question. Did
Nostradamus predict
the diabolical emergence
of the deadly virus like
no other? Possibly, yes —
with his signature style,
or panache. The prophe-
cies of Nostradamus, it
is now asserted, fittingly
refer to a plague, light-
ning and hail at the end
of March, a great ca-
lamity through America
and Lombardy
. “The fire
in the ship, plague and
captivity; Mercury in
Sagittarius, Saturn
warning.” The allusions
point to the sick and the
dead; America and Italy
.
Lombardy is located, as
you’d know, in Italy
. The
US, Italy, and Spain,
were, obviously, the pre-
eminent COVID-19 in-
fected countries, at some
point.
Yes, you’ve it all, and
more, in Nostradamus’
fertile mind. Not
only that.
Lemesurier
chronicles a
blow-by-blow
account ‘de-
tailing’ the
2022 ‘invasion
in Europe’
(read Ukraine) by
a massive military
power, through several
‘new’ verse translations.
He also contends that
one should not view the
seer’s prophecies as
mere forecasts of inevi-
table doom, but as a pro-
ject in which humanity
can co-operate, or guide
themselves — and, per-
haps, avoid their ‘frui-
tion.’ For one simple rea-
son. Forewarned is fore-
armed; more so, for hu-
manity’s sake.
This is not all. Nos-
tradamus was, quite sim-
ply, or paradoxically, a
genius, yes. He never
gave a particular date to
a possible future event.
A fact, as Lemesurier
says, has allowed his ar-
dent fans to constantly
argue, “Well, it hasn’t
happened yet.” Just
think of it as pure wind-
fall — one that has al-
lowed the prophet him-
self to steer clear of ever
being proved wrong.
THE TOMORROW
MAN UNPLUGGED
RAJGOPAL NIDAMBOOR
The writer is a wellness physician,
independent researcher and author
H
YOUR DAY Horoscopeby
SaurabbhSachdeva
Whatsapp Subscription
Subscribe “First India” Daily
E-News Paper For Free On Whatsapp
To Receive the Most Exclusive News from
the Power Corridors of Gujarat

A
fter the much
awaited second
look launch of
Jaipur Couture
Show (JCS) 2022, which
took place on Monday at
the Vesta Hotel in Go-
palbari, a get-together
wasorganisedbyGaurav
Gaur and his team who
hosted page 3 celebs and
designers on a beautiful
balmy evening. The
three-day JCS 2022, will
showcase chemical-free
and UV protected hemp
fabric garments on the
ramp this year on 6, 7
and 8 April at Hotel The
Palace, Jaipur.
During the look
launch Khadi Board
brand ambassador and
renowned fashion de-
signer, Himmat Singh,
who has also dressed
Amitabh Bachhan re-
vealed that his men’s
wear collection will
represent Royal Ra-
jasthan. Deepak
Sankit’s collection will
be based on handicrafts
and handlooms while
Designer Heena Bellani
will showcase party
gowns styled with or-
chid bird feathers.
ETC
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epapers/ahmedabad I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022
11
Jagdeesh Chandra accorded a floral welcome by Gaurav Gaur, Rishi Vyas and Akanksha Bhalla
Jagdeesh Chandra with Astha Khandelwal, Deepak Sankit, Himmat Singh,
Akanksha Bhalla, Gaurav Gaur, Karan Vig,Vibha Sharma, Surbhi Sabani and Aayesha Rawat
Karan Vig, Neeraj,Akanksha, Gaurav, Dhirendra, Himmat,Vibha and Manish Akanksha and Gaurav
Sapna,Vasudha and Aanchal
Radhika Choudhary
Tarannum Khan
Mahima Sharma
Aayesha Arpit Rawat,
Dhirendra Raghav and Neeraj
Megha Shyam, Nishant Tak and Gaurav Gaur
Manish, Gaurav, Rakesh and Ankur
Astha Khandelwal
Aanchal Sharma
Sumitra, Soni and Tanu
Muskan Kaamdaar and Simran Modi
Aarti Dubey, Shalini Naruka,
Poonam Madan and Farha Ansari
Vasudha, Rewati and Neelanjana
Deepak Sankit, Poonam Madan
and Munnavar Khan
Tripti Sharma Akanksha Bhalla
Sonaxi Chanana
Megha Shyam Soni
Sumitra Godara
—PHOTOS
BY
MUKESH
KIRADOO
AN EVENING OF
AN EVENING OF
GLAMOUR GLITZ
GLAMOUR GLITZ

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