06112023-TTC-01.qxd 11/6/2023 12:23 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 143 NO. 307 | 16 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2021-2023 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 NEPAL SCRAMBLES TO RUSH AID TO QUAKE VICTIMS WORLD ADMN MULLS WARD DELIMITATION, POLLS TO BE DELAYED J&K /thetribunechd NEED TO RATIONALISE BHUTAN KING ARRIVES IN DELHI FOR TALKS WITH PRICE SUPPORT PM MODI BACK PAGE POLICY INFOCUS monday | 6 november 2023 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Envoy asks Canada to give proof in Nijjar case Matchless: Kohli’s 49th ton, India’s 8th win Virat equals Sachin’s ODI record | Team’s winning streak continues with Proteas drubbing Rohit Mahajan blazing 40 off 24 balls by his 62CRICKET Rohit Sharma, and5.5 overs Kolkata, November 5 run partnership in Tribune News Service Says probe into Khalistan terrorist’s murder ‘tainted’ Sandeep Dikshit Tribune News Service these conversations. Show me that someone did not mimic the voice,” he observed. Shortly after returning from the G20 summit in Delhi where his plane was grounded for two days due to a mechanical fault, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau had alleged that investigations into Nijjar’s murder had thrown up a potential Indian Government link. Nijjar was wanted in several terrorism-related cases in India when he fled to Canada on a false passport. It is a mystery how a visa was given and when exactly Nijjar became a Canadian citizen. In 2020, India designated him as a terrorist. Days after Trudeau’s allegations, India temporarily suspended the issuance of visas to Canadian citizens and asked Ottawa to downsize its diplomatic presence in the country to ensure parity. Verma strongly denied Canada’s allegations and said that India made 26 requests to Ottawa over the past five or six years to extradite people, but Canada did not take any action. New Delhi, November 5 India’s High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma has asked Ottawa to produce evidence regarding New Delhi’s involvement in the murder of Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia and claimed that the “investigation has already been tainted”. “A direction has come from someone at a high level to say India or Indian agents are behind it,” Canadian paper The Globe and Mail quoted him as saying in an interview. Verma also suggested that Canada had illegally tapped the privileged communication between two diplomats in response to teasers from Ottawa about possessing evidence such as conversations between Indian diplomats as proof of an Indian Government link in Nijjar’s murder. “There is no specific or relevant information provided in this case for us to assist them in the investigation,” Verma said. “Where is the evidence? Where is the conclusion of the investigation? I would go a step further and say now the investigation has already been tainted. A direction has come from someone at a high level to say India or Indian agents are behind it,” he told The Globe and Mail. “You are talking about illegal wiretaps and talking about evidence. Conversations between two diplomats are secure by all international law. Show me how you captured Mahadev app among 22 betting platforms blocked MoDtocontestscoresof disability pension cases Tribune news service Ajay Banerjee MEDDLING IN CASE ❝ Where is conclusion of the probe? I would say the investigation has been tainted. A direction has come from someone at a high level to say India or Indian agents are behind it. Sanjay K Verma, ENVOY TO CANADA Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 5 The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued orders blocking 22 illegal betting apps and websites, including Mahadev Book and Reddyannaprestopro. The action comes after an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against illegal betting app syndicate, and subsequent raids on Mahadev Book in Chhattisgarh, revealing the app’s unlawful operations. The owners of Mahadev Book are currently in custody, having been arrested under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Union Minister of Electronics & Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “The Chhattisgarh Government had all the power to recommend shutting down of website/app under Section 69A, IT Act. They did not do so although they had been investigating it for the past 18 months. In fact, the first and only request was received from the Enforcement Directorate. Nothing prevented the Chhattisgarh Government from making similar requests.” New Delhi, November 5 The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has decided to contest in court hundreds of cases of disability pension of retired officers and jawans. The Adjutant General’s branch in a letter to legal cells of all Army commands has said “as directed by the competent authority at MoD, writ petitions be filed in the jurisdictional high court”. These MATERNITY LEAVE FOR WOMEN SOLDIERS OKAYED INSIDE petitions will be against judgments of various Armed Forces Tribunals (AFTs). The AG branch’s letter has appended a long list of officers and jawans who have been awarded some sort of disability pension. It has divided the beneficiaries in 10 lists. These lists have been drawn up on the basis continued on page 12 CLASS ACT Virat Kohli (101*) celebrates his century in Kolkata. PTI Tribune News Service IN BRIEF Decade after Jhiram Ghati massacre, kin await answers The Jhiram Ghati Shaheed Smarak in Chhattisgarh. PHOTO BY WRITER Vehicles ply amid poor visibility due to smog on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway in New Delhi on Sunday. PHOTO: MANAS RANJAN BHUI RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED UNDER GRAP-IV 24-HOUR AVERAGE ■ Ban on entry of trucks, LCVs in Delhi CAPITAL PUNISHMENT ■ Ban on all construction activities tragedy, while their loved ones await closure. A decade continued on page 12 Navdeep Suri to pay an ex-employee AUD 1.36 lakh in compensation for unpaid wages and unfair working conditions. BACK PAGE Yamunanagar, November 5 In a major action against illegal practices in the mining business, the Haryana Mines and Geology Department has disallowed 89 stone crushers and screening plants in Yamunanagar district from generating e-ravaana bills (transit passes), mandatory for the sale and purchase of raw and mined material. The action, Rajasthan BJP expels Dayma for gurdwara remark NEW DELHI: The BJP in Rajasthan on Sunday expelled party leader from Alwar, Sandeep Dayma, for his remark on gurdwaras and mosques at a recent rally in the Tijara Assembly constituency. TNS 2 pm FIFER Ravindra Jadeja (33/5) outings in the tournament, and it seemed it was destined that the most expressive and emotional of Indian players would get his 49th at this most emotional and expressive of Indian venues. It was no walk in the garden at the Eden, however. A AQI 482 466 479 AREA DWARKA SEC8 JAHANGIRPURI SIRIFORT AQI 479 476 462 Patiala, November 5 Of the total 17,403 farm fires recorded across Punjab from October 1 to November 5 this year, 13,617 incidents (78.25 per cent) were reported in the last eight days from October 29 to November 5, shows data procured from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB). Punjab today witnessed 3,230 stubble burning cases, the highest in a single day this season. Sangrur saw the maximum 551, followed by Ferozepur with 299, Mansa 293, Bathinda 247, Barnala 189, Ludhiana 184, Moga 179, Tarn Taran 177, Jalandhar 155 and Patiala 127. The Tribune had earlier highlighted that the farm fires would pick up in the beginning of November as farmers Oct 29 1,068 Nov 2 1,668 Oct 30 1,030 Nov 3 1,951 Oct 31 1,389 Nov 4 1,360 Nov 1 1,921 Nov 5 3,230 Total cases in eight cases:13,617 OVERALL THIS SEASON: 17,403 have to prepare their fields for sowing of wheat, the ideal period for which is considered from November 1 to 15. As nearly 30 per cent of the paddy crop is yet to be harvested, the authorities are worried that the delayed harvesting continued on page 12 quality index (AQI) was back to the ‘severe plus’ category continued on page 12 BJP planning to filecriminalcases, claims Moitra At meeting with Blinken, Abbas presses for immediate ceasefire New Delhi, November 5 Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Sunday alleged the BJP was planning to file criminal cases against her, as she hurled a fresh salvo against Lok Sabha Ethics Committee chief Vinod Sonkar, claiming the BJP MP had asked her “cheap sordid irrelevant questions” when she appeared on November 2 in connection with a hearing on the cash-for-query charges against her. This comes as continued on page 12 Sandeep Dikshit NETANYAHU SUSPENDS MINISTER OVER N-THREAT Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 5 Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told US State Secretary Antony Blinken that his administration would take care of Gaza if the need arose, but there must be an immediate ceasefire even as the Gaza health authorities claimed that 9,770 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli strikes till Sunday. “We demand that you stop them from committing these crimes immediately,” Abbas told Blinken. During their MAJOR CRACKDOWN IN YAMUNANAGAR ■ E-ravaana bills generated by a Panchkula contractor for 3,59,616 MT of mined material for the 89 units in Yamunanagar district ■ Though online bills were generated on Haryana Govt’s e-ravaana portal, no such actual sale or purchase took place, say sources ■ The aim was to let the 89 crushers and screening plants allegedly adjust illegally mined material in the guise of legal e-ravaana bills though temporary, completely prohibits these units from the mining business. Sources said the Mining Department authorities had RAGING MENACE and even impose the oddeven rule for vehicles. On Sunday, Delhi’s air Tribune News Service three-day meeting here from Monday and discuss measures to curb trans-frontier crimes and timely sharing of intelligence inputs. INSIDE AQI 454 AREA ■ Only CNG, BS-VI, EVs allowed BAWANA ■ 50% staff in government/private SHADIPUR offices to work from home MUNDKA Shiv Kumar Sharma NEW DELHI: An Australian court has asked India’s former diplomat NEW DELHI: Border guarding forces of India and Nepal will hold a VENUE TIME Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Delhi ■ PM Netanyahu disciplines a cabinet member who backed idea of a nuclear strike on Gaza ■ Observation from a minister from the far-right led to the PM suspending him from governAntony Blinken with Mahmoud Abbas ment meetings indefinitely meeting in Ramallah on Sunday, Abbas told Blinken that the Palestinian Authority was the only representative of Palestinian people, and not Hamas. Blinken reiterated that the E-ravaana ‘fraud’ 89 units barred from mining trade , Oz court slaps $1.36L fine on India’s ex-envoy India-Nepal border forces’ talks to begin today TEAMS with Shubman Gill, suggested that batting would be child’s play on this track; indeed, India got to 91 runs in 10 overs, suggesting that carnage would follow. But the wicket became sluggish, the ball older, and the South African spinners, especially Keshav Maharaj (1/30 off 10 overs) put Kohli and Shreyas Iyer on a tight leash. Iyer managed to break free, and Suryakumar Yadav and Jadeja smashed the ball, but Kohli played with calmness even in the most hectic part of the innings and reached his 100 in the 49th over, with only nine balls remaining in India’s innings. South Africa’s chase of 327 was a non-starter as Mohammed Siraj had Quinton de Kock, with four 100s in continued on page 12 Mohit Khanna ETHICS PANEL TO ADOPT DRAFT REPORT TOMORROW Pictures of slain men hang inside the memorial as a grim reminder of the India: 326/5 (50); SA: 83 (27.1) TODAY’S TIE Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 5 As the national Capital continued to reel under a thick haze of smog, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) — the central panel monitoring air quality — on Sunday invoked further stringent actions banning entry of trucks and all construction activities in the National Capital Region (NCR). The CAQM invoked final Stage-IV of the graded response action plan (GRAP), upgrading it from GRAP-III in view of the deteriorating air quality and new measures. Under additional emergency measures, the Delhi Government can consider closure of colleges and educational institutions; non-emergency commercial activities Aditi Tandon Newdelhi, November 5 Deathly silence looms over Chhattisgarh’s Sukma Road that leads to the Jhiram Ghati Shaheed Smarak, the site of the bloodiest-ever Naxal hit on a political convoy in Indian history. It was in Jhiram Ghati on May 25, 2013, that CPI (Maoist) cadres killed 29 Chhattisgarh Congress leaders and their security personnel, after planning the attack for months and hoodwinking the entire intelligence and security apparatus. WORLD CUP Air quality back to ‘severe plus’ 78% of Punjab farm in Delhi, strictest curbs kick in fires in last eight days On Bastar poll eve, memories of deadliest Naxal attack linger Tribune News Service A day of dreams ended with a magical night, with all the wishes of the fans of the Indian team finding fulfilment at the Eden Gardens here: Virat Kohli got his 49th ODI hundred — equalling Sachin Tendulkar’s record — on his 35th birthday; and India their eighth win on the trot — ensuring they would top the league stage of the World Cup — as South Africa flamed out in spectacular fashion, out for 83, confounded by the spin of Ravindra Jadeja. India would now play the fourth-best team in the semifinals. Pakistan’s recent resurgence opens up the tantalising, though remote, possibility that India could take on them in the semis here on November 16. Kohli had missed three centuries in the seven previous found that the 89 units allegedly misused e-ravaana bills to show fraudulent online transactions of 3,59,616 metric tonnes of c m y b minerals (boulder, gravel and sand) from a contractor in Panchkula district in June even as no physical sale or purchase was done. The contractor allegedly showed the online transactions to facilitate the sale of illegally mined minerals by the 89 units elsewhere under the guise of legal business through e-ravaana bills, the sources said. According to information, the order to bar the crushing and other units from generating e-ravaana bills on the department’s portal was continued on page 12 US “remains committed to advancing equal measures of dignity and security for Palestinians and Israelis alike”, according to an official statement. Hamas and continued on page 12 8 more arrested in HP crypto scam Shimla, November 5 The SIT constituted by Himachal Pradesh Police to probe the multi-crore rupee cryptocurrency scam arrested eight more accused, including four police personnel and a home guard, on Saturday taking the total arrests to 18 so far.DGP Sanjay Kundu said, “SIT has arrested eight more accused and taken their five-day police remand.” INSIDE