25062022-TTC-01.qxd 6/25/2022 12:50 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 142 NO. 6 | 18 PAGES | ~6.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2021-2023 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 MURMU FILES NOMINATION, REACHES OUT TO SONIA, MAMATA BACK PAGE /thetribunechd LANDSLIDES WORRY OFFICIALS AHEAD OF AMARNATH YATRA J&K WON’T ALLOW ‘JERKY MOVEMENTS’ OF RUPEE: RBI DY GUV BUSINESS SAD: BIDEN ON SC OVERTURNING RIGHT TO ABORTION WORLD saturday | 25 june 2022 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Gujarat riots were not pre-planned: SC upholds SIT’s clean chit to Modi Says riots took place spontaneously after Godhra train carnage| Rejects Zakia Jafri’s plea Tribune News Service NO CONSPIRACY FOUND Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde with MLAs at a hotel in Guwahati. PTI Uddhav digs in heels, blames BJP for revolt Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, June 24 The relationship between the two warring factions of the ruling Shiv Sena in Maharashtra appears to have reached the point of no return. Addressing a meeting of district unit chiefs, an emotional, but combative, Uddhav Thackeray today said he might have vacated ‘Varsha’, the Chief Minister’s official residence, but not the determination to fight back. “Whoever wants to leave can go, Sena loyalists will stay with me,” he said, accusing the group led by Eknath Shinde of “backstabbing” and blaming the BJP for rebellion in his party. “Why should I feel bad? Maybe their dreams have become too big. My job is not to fulfil their dreams but that of people,” Uddhav said as his supporters took to the streets while the numbers increased Pawar meets Maharashtra CM | Shinde faction claims support of 50 MLAs in the Shinde camp. The embattled CM said despite the rebellions Sena faced earlier, it emerged stronger, coming to power twice. “Contest elections without using Thackeray name and Sena symbol,” he said. Referring to allegations of maintaining distance from his MLAs, he said in the past two years, he battled Covid-19, and opponents took advantage of it. His son Aaditya Thackeray was present at Shiv Sena Bhavan during the address. However, it remains to be seen how long Uddhav will be able to hold against the growing numbers on the Shinde side as the fight for the control of Sena, its election symbol and Maharashtra Continued on page 14 New Delhi, June 24 The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the clean chit given to Narendra Modi, then Chief Minister of Gujarat, and 63 others in the Gujarat riots case by a special investigation team in its 2012 report, which concluded that the riots were spontaneous and not pre-planned. The court dismissed an appeal by Zakia Jafri, wife of the Congress MP Ehsan Jafri who was killed in the carnage, against the 2017 Gujarat High Court judgment that had upheld a lower court order accepting the SIT’s February 8, 2012, report and rejecting Jafri’s protest petition found any ❝The SIT has notseparate and conspiracy, linking disparate acts of arson...to any singular larger conspiracy or planned event. Intriguingly, the present proceedings have been pursued for last 16 years... to keep the pot boiling for ulterior design. Bench ❝ against the SIT. A Bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and CT Ravikumar today said the ZAKIA’S HUSBAND WAS KILLED IN 2002 RIOTS ■ FEB 27, 2002: 59 karsevaks killed as train coaches set on fire at Godhra railway station ■ FEB 28, 2002: Mob attack inhabitants of Gulberg Society (Ahmedabad), killing 69 persons, including husband of appellant Zakia Jafri. ■ MAR 6, 2002: Gujarat Govt appoints panel to probe Godhra incident & riots ■ OCT 9, 2003: NHRC files writ plea before SC. Harish Salve appointed amicus curiae ■ JUN 8, 2006: Zakia files comSIT “has not found any conspiracy, linking separate and disparate acts of arson and looting or outrageous claims plaint against Modi and others ■ MAR 26, 2008: SC appoints SIT ■ FEB 8, 2012: SIT files closure report giving clean chit to Modi and 63 others ■ APR 15, 2013: Zakia files protest petition in local court ■ DEC 26, 2013: Protest petition rejected by Metropolitan Magistrate and SIT report accepted ■ OCT 5, 2017: High Court too rejects Zakia’s plea on SIT ■ SEP 12, 2018: Zakia moves SC made in sting operations or individual utterances/publications or purported hate speech to any singular larger HP-cadre IPS officer Deka named IB chief New Delhi, June 24 The government today appointed Tapan Kumar Deka, a 1988-batch Himachal Pradesh-cadre IPS officer, as the Director, Intelligence Bureau, and extended the tenure of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Samant Goel, a 1984-batch Punjab-cadre IPS officer, till June 30 next year. As per an order issued by the Department of Personnel Extension for RAW head | Iyer is NITI Aayog CEO Tapan Kumar Deka DIRECTOR, IB Samant Goel RAW CHIEF & Training (DoPT), Deka will have a tenure of two years. He will replace Arvinda Parameswaran Iyer NITI AAYOG CEO Kumar, a 1984-batch IPS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, whose tenure ends on June 30. Deka is currently the head of the IB’s operations wing. He has a vast experience in dealing with issues like terrorism and religious radicalisation. He had led operations against Indian Mujahideen and credited with breaking its back. Goel (62) has been given an unprecedented second extension after he was appointed the RAW chief on Continued on page 14 conspiracy or planned event.” It said, “No evidence regarding meeting of minds could be culled out from the statements of the persons concerned, much less to link the offenders named in the complaint of appellant.” Observing that for being involved in the crime of criminal conspiracy, there ought to be positive material indicative of deliberate act of commission and omission and meeting of minds of the persons concerned, the Bench said: “The same was completely absent and not forthcoming during the investigation conducted by the SIT to inquire into the allegations of larger criminal conspiracy.” Continued on page 14 Tribune News Service Air Chief Marshal speaks at a seminar in New Delhi on Friday. PTI IAF:Can’t be left behind, must reassess priorities Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service New Delhi, June 24 Coercion is the latest strategy with cyberwar, information war and space domains becoming the new battlefields, Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari said on Friday, asking for a reassessment of strategic priorities to ensure that the IAF was not “left behind”. The Continued on page 14 Rai Sports School head suspended for ‘embezzlement’ Sonepat, June 24 The Haryana Government has suspended the PrincipalDirector of Moti Lal Nehru Sports School, Rai, Col Ashok Mor (retd), for alleged financial irregularities. Sources said an accounts officer had raised allegations of financial irregularities and reported these to the government. Meanwhile, the government has given the additional charge of the Principal-Director post to the Director, Sports and Youth Welfare. INSIDE 3,800 REGISTER FOR IAF UNDER AGNIPATH ■ The IAF on Friday started the registration process for recruitment under the Agnipath scheme. Some 3,800 persons got registered on the first day. ■ The Navy will begin the online registration from July 1 while the Army will issue a notification to conduct 83 recruitment rallies from August to November. Gurugram, June 24 De-addiction pill buprenorphine, an opioid derivative habit-forming drug, has become a hit among partygoers across the NCR, mainly Gurugram. With an expanding grey market in Delhi and Punjab, the drug is becoming popular owing to its alleged cheap and easy availability. “Being an opioid, it is 25-40 times more potent and longlasting pain reliever than morphine. The drug is used worldwide for de-addiction. But we are getting patients, most of them young IT professionals, who claim to have started taking this drug as a weekend fix and are hooked on to it. Most of them claim to have got it from their friends in Punjab,” said Dr Smriti Dogra, a de-addiction and behavioural sciences expert. Dr Atul Kulharia, a psychia- SUPPLIERS ‘SOURCING’ IT FROM PUNJAB ■ Buprenorphine, an opioid, is commonly used for drug de-addiction ■ It has become popular in NCR owing to its cheap, easy availability ■ Psychiatrists claim young professionals start taking it as a weekend fix and then get hooked on to it ■ A supplier claims he gets drug from Punjab for ~55 per tablet and sells it for ~100200 in Gurugram trist, said besides recreation, some couples were using buprenorphine as a performance drug. Talking to The Tri- bune, the owner of a club on the MG Road revealed the use of this drug was picking up among party enthusiasts. “There is no involvement of drug peddlers, rather people with no crime record have turned suppliers,” he said. One of the suppliers is a data analyst by profession. He was addicted to heroin and was prescribed buprenorphine during lockdown while his stay at his home in Kapurthala. He later got hooked on to it and made his friends in Delhi try it. He said, “In Punjab, the pill is available for Rs 55 in grey market and people here are ready to pay Rs 100-200 per pill. There are many manufacturers from where we can source the drug.” Shrikant Jadhav, ADGP , Narcotics Control Bureau, said, “Buprenorphine is being misused. It’s use needs to be monitored and regulated.” Nikhil Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Ludhiana, June 24 The Ludhiana police today arrested Patiala-based kabaddi player Jaskaran Singh, alias Karan (21) who allegedly received weapons from Canada-based Goldy Brar, the gangster who has owned responsibility for singer Sidhu Moosewala’s murder. Karan further supplied these weapons to Ludhiana transporter Baldev Chaudhary, alias Ballu, in March this year. Ballu, a college mate of gangster Bishnoi, is already in police custody. He was arrested by the CIA-2 wing of the Ludhiana Commissionerate with two imported pistols on June 19. CIA in-charge Inspector Beant Juneja told The Tribune that Karan had no criminal record. “In March this year, gangster Goldy Brar contacted Karan, instructing him to reach Sirhind where New Delhi: BJP leaders lauded the Supreme Court decision. Union Minister Anurag Thakur said, “Satyamev Jayate! The Supreme Court of India gives a clean chit and has dismissed the plea filed by Zakia Jafri challenging the report on post-Godhra violence in Gujarat by the SC-appointed SIT. The SC says the petition is without merit.” Former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad slammed the Congress and Left parties. — TNS IN BRIEF Rahul’s Wayanad office vandalised by SFI activists Wayanad (Kerala): The SFI took out a march on Friday and vandalised Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's office here. CM Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the incident and warned of stern action. BACK PAGE India to host G-20 summit in J&K next year Srinagar: J&K will host G-20 meetings next year. The UT has set up a committee for coordination with the MEA. India will assume the G20 Presidency on December 1 this year from Indonesia. INSIDE Star ratings for vehicles proposed: Gadkari New Delhi: To boost road safety, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said as per a new assessment mechanism, automobiles shall be accorded 'Star ratings' based on performance in crash tests. TNS De-addiction pill latest rage Kabaddi player nabbed, among partygoers in G’gram had supplied weapons Sumedha Sharma BJP: Truth has triumphed SANGRUR BYPOLL 45.3%TURNOUT MOOSEWALA KILLING CCTV FOOTAGE ■ Ten days before Moosewala’s killing, a Ludhiana-based man reportedly handed over arms and cartridges to occupants of a Toyota Fortuner near a petrol station in Bathinda ■ The police have obtained the CCTV footage of the vehicle and is now trying to zero in on the occupants, a senior police official said he was handed over the weapons by Ballu. The two were not acquainted. An Internet App was used for interaction,” Inspector Juneja said. These weapons were further supplied to the assassins. However, sources said Karan had delivered the weapons to Ballu outside his house in Bhadson, Patiala. POOR SHOW IN BIGWIGS’ SEGMENTS 48.26% in CM’s DHURIsegment, down from 70.47% in 2019 46.77% in FM’s DIRBA seat against 75.37% 41.43% in Edu Minister’s BARNALA seat against 68.38% SUNAM 47.22% | LEHRA 43.1% | DHADAUR 44.54% | MEHAL KALAN 43.8% | MALERKOTLA 47.66% | SANGRUR 44.96% YEAR POLLING 2022 2019 2014 2009 45.3% 72.44% 77.2% 74.63% Delhi man shoots wife’s male friend,kills self in Manali hotel Our Correspondent Kullu, June 24 A 32-year-old Delhi businessman allegedly shot dead his wife’s friend before turning the gun on himself at a hotel near Manali on Friday. Sources said Ravleen Kaur Chawla (30) and her sister Ashneet Kaur (24) of Delhi had taken Hotel Himalayan Oak at Shuru village on lease from a local about six months ago. Ravleen’s husband Rishabh Saxena was running a camping business in the Ghiyagi area of Banjar subdivision in Kullu. In her statement to the police, Ravleen alleged Rishabh armed with a pistol reached the hotel around 4 am. He got infuriated on seeing her friend Sunny Sheravat (31) at the hotel. After assaulting her, Rishabh shot Sunny and turned the gun on himself, she alleged. Both Rishabh and Sunny died on the spot. Kullu SP Gurdev Sharma said the police reached the spot and found room No. 102, where the firing took place, locked from inside. SCANNING CCTV FOOTAGE: SP ■ Armed with a pistol, Rishabh enters hotel around 4 am ■ Gets infuriated on seeing his wife’s friend Sunny Sheravat ■ Shoots Sunny dead before turning the gun on himself ■ Kullu SP Gurdev Sharma says incident recorded in CCTV cameras The police entered the room from the rear balcony and found the bodies of two men. The cops also recov- ered three bullet casings from the spot. “The incident has been recorded in the CCTV cameras installed on the property. The crime scene has been secured,” Sharma said, adding a case had been registered and further probe was underway. Ravleen, who sustained a bullet injury, was undergoing treatment at the Civil Hospital, Manali. The SP said a forensic team had been called at the spot. “Prima facie, it seems the women has no role in the crime,” he added. Policemen at the hotel in Manali where the incident took place in the early hours of Friday. PTI