21072022-TT-01.qxd 7/20/2022 11:04 PM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 142 NO. 200 | 12 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2021-2023 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  HIMACHAL PRADESH SUNAK CLINCHES SPOT FOR FINAL LEG IN UK PM RACE WORLD /thetribunechd 118 CIVILIANS KILLED SINCE AUG 2019, RAJYA SABHA INFORMED J&K MARUTI UNVEILS MID-SIZED SUV GRAND VITARA BUSINESS MoS QUITS, ANOTHER UPSET, ALL’S NOT WELL IN UP BACK PAGE thursday | 21 july 2022 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Re closes below 80/USD for 1st time amid deficit worries 2 Moosewala killers shot in Amritsar encounter Tribune News Service PK Jaiswar New Delhi, July 20 The Indian rupee fell 13 paise on Wednesday to close below the 80 mark for the first time against the US dollar due to a strong demand for the greenback amid high crude oil prices. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 79.91 and settled at the day’s low level of 80.05 on close. On Monday and Tuesday, the rupee had dipped below 80 during mid-session but had recovered against the US dollar due to forex inflows and possible RBI intervention. Forex traders said significant dollar demand from oil importers, firm crude oil prices as well as concerns about swelling trade deficit SC staystrialin Nagalandagainst 30 Army men New Delhi, July 20 The Supreme Court has stayed the proceedings against 30 Army men facing a criminal case over the killing of 14 civilians in Nagaland in December last year, noting that the mandatory sanction under AFSPA had not been obtained. The order came from a Bench led by Justice Indira Banerjee on two petitions seeking quashing of the FIR lodged by the Nagaland Police and the findings of an SIT set up by the state government and the complaint filed by the NHRC. The petitions have been filed by Anjali Gupta, wife of Major Ankush Gupta, one of the Army officers named in the case. — TNS REASONS FOR DECLINE ■ Significant demand for the US dollar among oil importers ■ The Russia-Ukraine war crisis and firm crude oil prices ■ Concerns about swelling trade deficit, fiscal tightening OPENS AT 79.91 CLOSES AT 80.05 RATE IN JAN 74.17 CONG TAKES JIBE AT GOVT Modi ji made falling rupee a poll issue in 2014.... blamed the then ‘weak’ (UPA) govt... but what’s the strong govt giving us now? FARES BETTER VS £, ^ Shashi Tharoor, CONGRESS MP ■ Rupee has slid from 74.17 per WINDFALL TAX ON PETROL EXPORTS SCRAPPED dollar in January to 80 ■ The Euro, which stood at ~84 in Jan, is worth ~82 now ■ The British pound, worth ~101 earlier, is now at ~96 The government has scrapped a windfall tax on the exports of petrol and cut the levy on overseas shipments of diesel and ATF following a dip in global oil prices. INSIDE Forex reserves at $580.2 bn, down $27.05 bn from March weighed on investor sentiments. Foreign institutional investors were the net buyers, purchasing shares worth Rs 976.40 crore. India’s forex reserves stood at $580.252 billion last Friday, a drawdown of $27.05 billion since Marchend. Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran said the yen and the pound had depreciated much more against the dollar. “The RBI has announced liberalised continued on page 9 Zubair released, SC grants him interim bail in FIRs filed in UP Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 20 Alt News co-founder Mohammad Zubair was released from Tihar on Wednesday night, hours after being granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in all FIRs lodged in Uttar Pradesh against him for the alleged hate speech, prison officials said. Zubair was arrested by the Delhi Police on June 27 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through his tweets. Holding that there was no justification in keeping Zubair in continuous custody, the Supreme Court on Wednesday granted him interim bail in all FIRs registered REFUSES TO RESTRAIN HIM FROM TWEETING a journalist be restrained from tweeting? ❝ How canlaw, he can be proceeded against. If he violates Accused were holed up in house | Three cops injured Tribune News Service Hoshiarnagar (Amritsar), July20 In a five-hour-long operation, the anti-gangster task force of the Punjab Police gunned down two gangsters, wanted in the singer-turned-politician Sidhu Moosewala murder case, here today. They have been identified as Jagroop Singh Rupa and Manpreet Singh, alias Mannu Kussa, who had been evading arrest since the incident on May 29. They were part of the Corolla module, who had chased Moosewala in a Corolla car before shooting him at Jawaharke village in Mansa, according to the police. Three police personnel were injured in the encounter. They sustained bullet injuries in the chest, near the eye and on the thigh. They were rushed to a private hospital where there condition is stated to the out of danger. They have been identified as Sukhdev Singh, Surinderpal Singh and Baljinder Singh. A cameraman of an electronic channel was also injured in the firing. The police recovered an AK-47 rifle and a pistol from Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav with other cops at the encounter site. PTI HAD CHASED SINGER IN COROLLA ■ Duo was part of module that had chased Moosewala in a Corol- la car before shooting him at Jawaharke village in Mansa ■ Were members of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang ■ AK-47 rifle, pistol recovered from spot at Amritsar village ONE STILL AT LARGE ■ Police had identified six shoot- ers for Moosewala’s killing ■ Three of them — Priyavrat Fau- Jagroop Singh Manpreet Singh the spot. According to eyewitnesses, the encounter started around 10.30 am and ji, Kashish and Ankit Sirsa – were held by the Delhi Police ■ Deepak Mundi still at large ended around 4 pm after ADGP Parmod Ban reached continued on page 9 New Delhi, July 20 A Go First flight heading from Delhi to Guwahati was diverted to Jaipur after the A320neo aircraft’s windshield cracked mid-air. This is the third incident of technical malfunction on a Go First aircraft in two days. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is investigating the incidents. After the pilots saw the crack, they wanted to return to Delhi but could not do so due to heavy rain on Wednesday afternoon, the officials said, adding the A320neo plane was then diverted to Jaipur. A Go First’s spokesperson said, “The pilot in command was well experienced and handled the issue diligently.” On Tuesday, Go First’s Mumbai-Leh and SrinagarDelhi flights faced snags and were grounded. — PTI SC Bench Trucker who ‘mowed down’ DSP nabbed Our Correspondent HC TO HEAR AGNIPATH PLEAS ON AUG 25 The Delhi High Court will take up on August 25 petitions challenging the Centre’s Agnipath scheme. It is yet to receive the files of the petitions transferred to it by the Supreme Court and other high courts. against him in Uttar Pradesh. A three-judge Bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud ordered clubbing of all six cases registered against him by the Uttar Pradesh Police with the one lodged against him in Delhi and said that the Special Cell of the Delhi Police would conduct the investigation. continued on page 9 Gurugram, July 20 The Haryana Police today arrested the truck driver who had allegedly mowed down DSP Surender Singh during a raid to check illegal mining in the Aravallis at Pachgaon in Nuh district’s Tauru. The key accused, Sabbir, alias Mittar (30), was nabbed from Rajasthan’s Bharatpur KIN ALLEGE CONSPIRACY, DEMAND CBI PROBE Suspecting a conspiracy behind the mowing down of DSP Surender Singh, his family has demanded a CBI probe into the killing. INSIDE WOMAN SI AMONG 2 COPS RUN OVER IN J’KHAND, GUJ Sub-Inspector Sandhya Topno (32) was run over by a van allegedly smuggling cattle in Ranchi (Jharkhand) while Constable Karansinh Raj (40) was mowed down by a container in Anand (Gujarat). district, the arrest coming following the interrogation of truck cleaner Ikkar, who was arrested within hours of the crime yesterday. Ten police teams had been conducting raids since yesterday to nab the driver. “Sabbir was arrested from Pahari police station area of Bharatpur. We are on the hunt to nab their accomplices,” Nuh SP Varun Singla told The Tribune. Hailing from Pachgaon, the driver had fled to a relative’s place in Rajasthan. The police today lodged the second FIR in the case regarding the brief continued on page 9 edit: Murder of a DSp Illegalminingleavescratersin3Y’nagarvillages IN BRIEF 1984 riots: UP SIT arrests five more accused KANPUR: The SIT probing the 1984 riots arrested five more per- sons accused of setting a building afire in which three persons were burnt to death, taking the tally of arrested persons to 27. PTI DEEP KEEPING A CLOSE WATCH Teams headed by the SDMs of Bilaspur, Radaur and Jagadhri are keeping a close watch on illegal mining. ❝ NEXUS Shiv Kumar Sharma CM Mann hospitalised with abdominal pain NEW DELHI: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann was admitted to Apollo hospital here on Wednesday. He complained of abdominal pain, it was learnt. Medical tests were done to ascertain the ailment. TNS Japanese passport strongest, India’s 87th NEW DELHI: Indian passport has been ranked 87th on the Henley Passport Index on basis of number of visa-free destinations in 2022. Japanese passport is strongest with access to 193 destinations. TNS Order barring service charge levied by hotels stayed NEW DELHI: The Delhi HC stayed the guidelines prohibiting eateries from levying service charges automatically on food bills and directed the Central Consumer Protection Authority to file a reply. TNS PM writes to vaccinators, lauds their efforts NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday wrote a letter to Covid vaccinators hailing their efforts for the national achievement of crossing the 200-crore mark on July 17. TNS Tribune News Service Yamunanagar, July 20 Illegal mining has turned a vast area of three villages into big craters (the pits look like big ponds) in Yamunanagar district. This unscientific illegal mining in areas of Ballewala, Doiwala and Bailgarh villages may cause a threat to the ecology of the area in future. Illegal mining is still underway in these villages. With the coming up of many new stone crushers and screening plants in the area in the past few years, the demand for raw mining Parth Gupta, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER UNCHECKED MENACE A huge crater due to mining at Doiwala village of Yamunanagar. HIGH RETURNS A BIG LURE FOR LANDOWNERS ■ Land in the area semi-barren ■ However, if they allow extrac- ~25,000 to ~30,000 per acre by growing crops every year tion of mining material from their fields, they receive up to ~20 lakh to ~25 lakh per acre material has increased, paving the way for illegal mining to meet the enhanced demand. As per the Haryana State Pol- lution Control Board, Yamunanagar, 211 stone crushers and 351 screening plants are functional in the district. A farmer said most part of ■ Landowners can earn only Tribune News Service WHAT THEY WANT ■ Withdrawal of hike in the GST on cartons from 12 to 18% ■ Subsidy on fertilisers and packing material ■ Introduction of Kashmir-like MIS scheme ■ Clearance of payments by HPMC and Himfed ■ Strict implementation of the APMC Act Apple growers protest in Rohru. PHOTO: LALIT KUMAR the banner of the Sanyukt Kisan Manch at Rohru, Theog, Rampur, Kotkhai, ■ No collection of charges at Shoghi barrier Narkanda, Nirmand and Kinnaur. They decided to hold the next protest at the Secre- Some officials of the local administration along with owners of the land, mostly farmers, and owners of stone crushers and mining firm contractors are allegedly involved in illegal mining in the area, said a source New President Ranil Wickremesinghe at a Buddhist shrine in Colombo. REUTERS Ranil elected SL Prez, no let-up in protests Tribune News Service Rising input costs have apple growers on warpath Shimla, July 20 The apple growers’ protest is getting bigger and wider by the day. On Wednesday, a large number of apple growers took to the streets at various places in upper Shimla despite heavy rain to protest the steady rise in the input costs of apple cultivation. Various apple growers’ organisations came together under Go First plane’s windshield cracks mid-air, probe on tariat in Shimla on August 5. “Growers from all applegrowing areas will join the protest to wake up the government from its slumber,” said Sanjay Chauhan, co-convener of the manch. Besides, opposition parties such as the Congress and AAP have also picked up the issue and have been organising protests and press conferences in support of the apple growers. “Compared to the July 11 protest, the participation was much bigger continued on page 9 the land in these villages was semi-barren and farmers could earn only Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per acre by growing continued on page 9 SSC exam: Age norm for docs, cops relaxed New Delhi, July 20 The government has approved age relaxation for frontline workers, including doctors and cops, in the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) exams on account of delay in recruitment due to the pandemic. The SSC has fixed the date for determining the age as on January 1, 2022, for exams advertised in 2022. — TNS NewDelhi, July20 Sri Lankan Parliament today elected Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe as the President in place of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a development likely to anger anti-government protesters who have been demanding his resignation. In a three-way contest, the six-time PM received 134 votes in the 225-member House while his main rival and a ruling party rebel Dullas Alahapperuma got 82. The 73-year-old President-elect will take oath of office on Thursday. India welcomed Wickremesinghe’s election and said it would continue to back Sri Lanka’s quest for stability and economic recovery. At the same time, the India welcomes election; swearing-in today WILL TAKE ALL ALONG I would like to bring everyone together so that a consensus is formed for the way forward. ❝ Ranil Wickremesinghe Indian High Commission in Colombo said any change should be through democratic means and values, established democratic institutions and constitutional framework. The mission began the day by denying reports of India trying to influence politicians in Sri Lanka about the choice of President. But the thousands continued on page 9