14112023-TTB-01.qxd 13-11-2023 23:52 13 PAK GOVT’S NOD TO JAIL TRIAL OF IMRAN WORLD /thetribunechd Page 1 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 143 NO. 314 | 12 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2021-2023 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  HARYANA tuesday | 14 november 2023 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Delhi gas chamber again as ban on Diwali crackers goes up in smoke AQI ‘severe’ in several parts | Odd-even on cards Neeraj Mohan CAPITAL’S AQI Tribune News Service IN BRIEF HC quashes FIR against dera head Ram Rahim NEW DELHI: Eight months after a case was lodged against dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for allegedly insulting religious sentiments, the Punjab and Haryana HC has quashed the FIR as well as all consequential proceedings. INSIDE CBI seeks nod for FIR against Jain in jail case NEW DELHI: The CBI has sought sanction from the Centre to file an FIR against Delhi ex-minister Satyendar Jain and ex-DG (Prisons) Sandeep Goel for alleged extortion from high-profile prisoners for a comfortable life in jail, officials said on Monday. PTI 358 RK PURAM JAHANGIRPURI BAWANA MUNDKA At 1,624, farm fires see spike in Punjab PATIALA: Following recent relief after the crackdown on burning of paddy residue, Punjab again witnessed a spike in farm fires with 1,624 cases being reported on Monday. A total of 2,611 farm fires have been reported over the past two days, with 987 incidents on Diwali itself. INSIDE 402 419 407 403 300-400 ‘very poor’| 400-450 ‘severe’ AQI deteriorates in most Haryana cities MANAS RANJAN BHUI New Delhi, November 13 The widespread bursting of crackers on Diwali despite a Supreme Court ban aggravated the pollution problem in Delhi-NCR with people waking up to a thick haze and the air quality at several locations plunging into “severe” and “very poor” category. The visibility at many points was limited to a few hundred metres. The authorities in the national capital are now contemplating the implementation of the odd-even vehicle rationing scheme, if the air quality index (AQI) crosses the level of 450, which is categorised as ‘severe plus’. Delhi recorded its best air quality on Diwali day in eight years on Sunday, with its 24hour average AQI settling at A thick layer of smog engulfs Kartavya Path in New Delhi on Monday. 218 at 4 pm. However, bursting of firecrackers till late Sunday night led to a spike in pollution levels amid low tem- peratures. The AQI stood at 275 (‘poor’ category) at 7 am continued on page 9 edit: Ban firecrackers AMBALA: A majority of cities in Haryana reported a dip in air quality following Diwali. The AQI in Rohtak (383), Faridabad (370), Kaithal (361), Gurugram (349), Jind (344), Dharuhera (343), Manesar (328), Fatehabad (322), Panipat (311) and Kurukshetra (307) was recorded ‘very poor’. INSIDE Prevent misuse of freedom of expression, India tells Canada Sandeep Dikshit Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 13 Differences with Canada came to the fore during a review of its human rights records at Geneva last week when India asked it to further strengthen the domestic framework to prevent misuse of freedom of expression for inciting violence and disallowing activities of groups which are promoting extremism. India also asked Canada to effectively prevent attacks on places of worship of religious and racial minorities, strengthen legislative and 40 TRAPPED IN U’KHAND TUNNEL PTI PM TRUDEAU REITERATES CLAIM ON NIJJAR’S DEATH ❝ We have reasons to believe that agents of the Government of India could have been involved in killing of a Canadian citizen.... India’s response was to kick out a whole bunch of Canadian diplomats. Justin Trudeau, CANADIAN PM other measures to address hate crimes and speech. Canada is among 14 coun- tries undergoing a periodic review of its human rights record. First Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission in Geneva KS Mohammed Hussain made observations about the misuse of freedom of expression in Canada. The Indian observations come against the backdrop of a Sikh separatist banned by India calling for attacks on Air India flights while some Canadabased separatists have splashed posters of Indian diplomats holding them culpable for the killing of pro-Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada continued on page 9 Israeli forces at gate of main hospital in Gaza Sandeep Dikshit Tribune News Service Forty workers were trapped as an underconstruction tunnel on Char Dham route collapsed in Uttarakhand. Rescue may take two days. BACK PAGE Govt extends ban on 11 Meitei extremist groups for 5 years New Delhi, November 13 The Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday extended ban on 11 Meitei extremist outfits, calling these “unlawful associations”, under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, for five years. It said the outfits have been involved in ethnic violence in Manipur as well as attacks on security forces, police and civilians in the state, and also in activities detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of India. These include the Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA) and its political wing Revolutionary Peoples’ Front (RPF); United National Liberation Front continued on page 9 New Delhi, November 13 Israeli forces on Monday reached the gates of Gaza City’s main hospital Al Shifa, the primary target in their battle to seize control of the northern half of the Gaza Strip, even as the lives of hundreds of patients hung by a slim thread after an Israeli bombing run destroyed the hospital’s oxygen plant. Gaza health ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qidra, who was inside the hospital, said an Israel tank was now stationed at the hospital gate. WHO DG Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had said on Sunday that gunfire and bombings near the hospital “have exacerbated the already critical circumstances and regrettably, the hospital is not functioning as a hospital anymore”. Overnight, 32 wounded patients died at the hospital and 35 babies were in critical care while officials said there Four US soldiers killed in Syria attack A Palestinian woman in mourning in Gaza city of Khan Younis. REUTERS PALESTINIAN TOLL TOPS 11,000 The death toll in Gaza has crossed 11,000, of whom about 7,000 were women and children, according to the Gaza health authorities. Another 2,700 are reported missing. was no other hospital in Gaza to take in the patients. They said the only alternative was a safe passage to Egypt. continued on page 9 Jind principal ‘guilty’ of sexual abuse:Panel report Deepender Deswal Tribune News Service Hisar, November 13 The Prevention of Sexual Harassment Committee constituted by the Jind Deputy Commissioner to probe charges against the principal, arrested for sexual abuse of several girl students of a government senior secondary school, has found him guilty in several incidents, official sources have said. SUICIDE VICTIM’S KIN REFUSE TO GIVE STATEMENT ■ Kin of a suicide victim, who studied in Jind school where principal allegedly abused girls, have refused to give statement ■ A police official visited the girl’s house, but the family denied seeing any signs of pressure or depression before her death ■ Police may initiate legal action if the family comes out with a statement about her death later, says the SP A member of the committee told The Tribune that the committee had submitted its report to the authorities. This comes as the Jind police approached the family of the girl who had died by suicide at her house in September this year. The victim was a student of Class XI at the JAISHANKAR IN UK, MEETS FOREIGN SECY BACK PAGE school. A letter purportedly written by some victims on August 31 had led to the investigation against the principal. Sources said the girl, who belonged to a weaker section of the society, hanged herself in a room on the first floor of her house on September 30 after returning from school. The family claimed they were taken aback and cremated the body. An official who visited the continued on page 9 c m y b