16042024-TTC-01.qxd 16-04-2024 00:33 Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 8 NO. 105 | 12 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 RAJNATH: PEACE BACK AFTER ABROGATION OF ARTICLE 370 J&K SCHOLZ CALLS FOR FAIR COMPETITION DURING CHINA VISIT WORLD /thetribunechd SENSEX, NIFTY TANK ARMY CHIEF EMBARKS ON 1% AMID WEST ASIA 3-DAY UZBEKISTAN TENSIONS BUSINESS VISIT BACK PAGE tuesday | 16 april 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Only 3% ED cases against politicians, No relief for Kejriwal yet, SC to take up plea on April 29 honest have nothing to fear: PM Modi Delhi court extends CM’s judicial custody till April 23 Slams Oppn parties, says laws governing probe agencies not enacted during his tenure INDIA VOTES 2024 Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 15 Amid the arrest of a number of Opposition leaders, including Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, by the ED in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday claimed only 3 per cent of the cases filed by the agency were against political leaders. In an interview, PM Modi refuted the accusation of misuse of probe agencies to harass rivals and declared that those involved in corruption would have “paap ka dar” (fear of sin). He also said honest IN BRIEF REUTERS ❝ ON OPPOSITION’S BIAS CHARGE Opposition is only trying to find an excuse for its impending defeat. Whether it’s the ED, CBI or the Election Commission, the related laws were not enacted by my government ELECTORAL BOND SCHEME Everyone will regret it when there is an honest reflection. Electoral bond scheme was meant to curb the use of black money in elections, but (we) never claimed it was an absolute way ELON MUSK’S INDIA PLANS Want investment to come in India, doesn’t matter who invested it, (but) sweat put into work must be of our people and product from our soil persons had nothing to fear. The PM’s remark came amid criticism over Kejriwal’s arrest last month in connection with the alleged excise policy scam. Strongly SYDNEY: The police in Australia said a 15-year-old boy has been held after a bishop and three churchgoers were stabbed at a church in Sydney on Monday evening. INSIDE Wholesale inflation hits 3-month high of 0.53% NEW DELHI: Wholesale inflation rose to three-month high of 0.53 per cent in March compared to 0.20 per cent in February due to rise in prices of vegetables, potato, onion and crude oil. INSIDE refuting the allegations levelled by the Opposition that the current political scenario was heavily tilted in favour of the BJP due to changes in the law regarding the selec- tion of Election Commissioners, PM Modi said the legislation ensured the participation of a representative of the Opposition as well. “In fact, we have made PUNJAB CM MEETS HIM IN TIHAR JAIL Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 15 Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will continue to be in jail as the Supreme Court on Monday simply issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate on his petition challenging the Delhi High Court’s verdict upholding his arrest in a money laundering case linked to the excise policy scam. A Bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta which asked the ED to respond to Kejriwal’s petition by April 24 gave him time till April 27 to file his rejoinder to the ED’s reply affidavit and posted the matter for hearing on April 29. Despite repeated requests by senior counsel AM Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, to give an early date of hearing in view of the fact that the first round of polling in the 2024 Lok Sabha elec- Bhagwant Mann after meeting Arvind Kejriwal. TRIBUNE PHOTO New Delhi, April 15 The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday said the country would witness above-normal rainfall during the June-September southwest monsoon season. A spell of good rains may boost agriculture and wider economic growth, helping to bring down food price inflation. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General, IMD, said, “We have done a study for the period between 1951 and 2023 and found that of the 22 La Nina years in that period, all except two — 1974 and 2000 — have recorded above normal or normal monsoon. Abovenormal rainfall is expected in 52% FARM AREA RELIES ON RAINS ■ The monsoon rain critical for India’s agricultural landscape, with 52% of net cultivated area relying on it ■ Also crucial for replenishing reservoirs critical for drinking water and power generation ■ The prediction of above-normal rainfall during monsoon, therefore, comes as a huge relief Mrutyunjay >> Mohapatra most parts of the country, except in some parts of northwest, east and northeast regions, which will experience below-normal rainfall.” The IMD has based its rainfall forecast on the three climatic phenomena. “The first is El Nino, the second is the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), which occurs due to differential warming of the western and eastern sides of the equatorial Indian Ocean, and the third is the snow cover over the Northern Himalayas and the Eurasian landmass, which also has an impact on the Indian monsoon through differential heating of the landmass,” the IMD said. The seasonal rainfall forecast is expected to be 106 per cent of the long-period average (LPA), which is 870 mm (1970-2020 average). The LPA of rainfall is the rain recorded continued on page 8 ED TOLD TO FILE REPLY BY APRIL 24 hi Chief Minister’s petition against his arrest by April 24 ■ The Chief Minister has been told to file rejoinder to the ED’s reply by April 27, and the matter will be heard on April 29 tions was to be held on April 19, the Bench said April 29 was the earliest possible date to take up the matter. Singhvi had earlier contended that the high court’s order was based on certain material that was suppressed from the petitioner. Meanwhile, Delhi Special Tribune News Service Israel’s Nevatim airbase that was hit by Iran’s drone attack. REUTERS TOLD IRAN, ISRAEL TO CALM DOWN: EAM It’s a crucial region as a large number of our ships pass through it… We have told both nations to calm down. S Jaishankar, EAM ❝ WORLD URGES ISRAEL NOT TO AVENGE ATTACK NOT FOR ESCALATION, BUT WILL DEFEND ISRAEL: US IRAN PRESIDENT TO VISIT PAKISTAN ON APRIL 22 REPORTS ON BACK PAGE Ambala, April 15 Days after six schoolchildren lost their lives in the Mahendragarh bus tragedy, an eight-year-old girl student was killed and five others injured in an autorickshaw accident at Kamani Chowk in Yamunanagar on Monday. The deceased girl has been identified as Himani, a student of Class 3. As per information, the autorickshaw ferrying schoolchildren overturned FITNESS CERTIFICATE EXPIRED ON APRIL 4 The auto’s fitness certificate had expired on April 4. Apt action will be taken against the driver for violation of the Motor Vehicles Act. ❝ The autorickshaw that overturned after colliding with a twowheeler around 1.40 pm at one of the busiest intersections in Ganga Ram Punia, YAMUNANAGAR SP the city. The motorcycle rider, who worked with a continued on page 8 Tribune News Service Ludhiana, April 15 The local Civil Hospital is once again in news for wrong reasons. A patient admitted to the emergency ward was forced to share bed with a body for more than half an hour. An unidentified patient died at 11.40 am and his body kept lying on the bed he was sharing with another patient for 37 minutes. The body was shifted to the mortuary at 12.17 pm. Taking serious note of the incident, Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney marked an inquiry into The patient lies next to the body APRIL 9, 8.30 PM Unidentified patient with broken thigh bone admitted to the Ludhiana Civil Hospital, not attended to till April 11 APRIL 12 A note on his file reads, “Patient not on bed”; this, despite his broken thigh bone APRIL 13 A doctor puts a note on file, but doesn’t mention his/her name APRIL 14 Patient referred to another hospital, but again name of doctor not mentioned APRIL 15, 11.40 AM Patient dies, but body remains on bed he shared with another patient 12.17 PM The body shifted to mortuary after lying next to the patient for more than half an hour the matter. Dr Jasbir Singh Aulakh, Civil Surgeon, who conducted the inquiry, submitted a report to the DC and the Director, Health. The Civil Surgeon indicted Senior Medical Officer Dr Mandeep Sidhu and Emergency Medical Officer Dr Manju Nahar, saying the incident took place due to administrative lapse on part of the SMO. “If two patients were lying on the same bed due to a shortage of beds, at least the other patient should have been shifted after one died and saved him the mental agony,” Dr Aulakh said. “Earlier, it was said that the continued on page 8 ‘Thought I was dying... losing eye upsets me every day’: Rushdie relives 2022 knife attack London, April 15 Mumbai-born Booker Prize winner Salman Rushdie has spoken in gruesome detail about the moment he was attacked by a knifeman on stage in New York in 2022, and said he thought he was dying as his left eye hung down his face “like a softboiled egg”. The 76-year-old BritishAmerican author was on stage in August 2022 when he was stabbed up to 12 times by accused Hadi Matar, in prison for attempted murder. In an interview ahead of the release of his detailed account of the attack in ‘Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder’ this week, the author admitted losing an eye is something that “upsets me every day” and that the memoir was his way of fighting back against what happened. MEMOIR SET FOR RELEASE TODAY Mumbai-born author Salman Rushdie’s new book, ‘Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder’, set for release on Tuesday, is dedicated to “the men and women who saved my life” after the attack on stage in New York “I actually thought he punched me very hard. I didn’t realise it was a knife in his hand, and then I saw the blood, and I realised there was a weapon,” said Rushdie, recalling the moment of the attack at the Chautauqua Institution. ‘Calculated bid to weakenjudiciary’: 21 former judges write letter to CJI Tribune News Service Manav Mander Tribune News Service Judge Kaveri Baweja sent the Delhi Chief Minister, who was produced before her through video-conferencing, to Tihar Jail till April 23 after the ED sought an extension of his judicial custody on the ground that the investigation was at a crucial stage. continued on page 8 Satya Prakash New Delhi, April 15 External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said government representatives will soon meet 17 Indians who were aboard an Israel-linked merchant vessel seized by Iran for allegedly violating maritime rules. “Yesterday night, I spoke to my Iranian counterpart (Hossein Amir-Abdollahian). I told him there are 17 crew members from India. We are making the point with the Iranian government that these people should be released,” Jaishankar said. The Iranian military had seized the cargo ship with continued on page 8 Days after Mahendragarh tragedy, Patient shares bed with corpse at Civil Hospital indicted for negligence 8-year-old girl dies in auto mishap Ludhiana DC orders probe | SMO among 2 medical officersSTATE OF AFFAIRS SORRY Vehicle hits bike, overturns in Yamunanagar; 5 pupils hurt Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann met Arvind Kejriwal in Tihar jail on Monday and alleged he was being treated like a terrorist even as AAP said its government in Delhi will start functioning from jail with Kejriwal planning to meet two ministers from next week. ■ The Supreme Court has asked the ED to respond to the Del- Agri in for boost as IMD predicts Iran permits Indian officials to above-normal monsoon this year meet 17 crew aboard seized ship Tribune News Service Teen held after stabbing spree at Sydney church PM Modi during an interview. ANI improvements. Today, when the Election Commission is formed, the Opposition is also in it.” The PM was referring to the law mandating the Leader of the Opposition as the third member in a three-member selection panel. The other two are the PM and a Union Minister. Reacting to the Supreme Court’s decision to scrap the electoral bonds scheme, the PM said, “Everyone will regret it when there is an honest reflection.” He said the electoral bonds scheme launched by his government was meant to fight the use of black money, referring to unaccounted cash or funds from criminal activities, in election campaigns, and that he had “never claimed this was an absolute way” to achieve that goal. He also attacked the Opposition for spreading “lies” continued on page 8 Satya Prakash “I think he was just slashing wildly at everything. So, there was a very big slash across my neck and stab wounds down by the middle of my torso and two to the side, and then there was the wound in my eye, which was quite deep. It looked terrible. I mean, it was very distended, swollen, and it was kind of hanging out of my face, sitting on my cheek like a soft-boiled egg, and I am blind,” he recalls. c m y b “I remember thinking I was dying. Fortunately, I was wrong,” he said. Rushdie recounted how his attacker came “sprinting up the stairs” and stabbed him 12 times in an attack lasting 27 seconds. “I couldn’t have fought him. I couldn’t have run away from him,” he said. He fell to the floor, where he lay with “a spectacular quantity of blood” all around him before he was rushed to a hos- pital by helicopter and spent six weeks recovering there. Rushdie had spent several years in hiding after the 1988 publication of the controversial ‘The Satanic Verses’ triggered threats against his life, with the Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini issuing a fatwa against him. The New Yorkbased novelist, knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II for services to literature, admitted continued on page 8 New Delhi, April 15 Twentyone retired judges of the Supreme Court and various high courts have written to Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud expressing concern over “escalating attempts by certain factions to undermine the judiciary through calculated pressure, misinformation and public disparagement”. PART OF PM’S CAMPAIGN TO BROWBEAT JUDICIARY: CONG “We are particularly concerned about the tactics of misinformation and the orchestration of public sentiment against the judiciary, which are not only unethical but also detrimental to the foundational principles of our democracy. The practice of selectively praising judicial decisions that align with one’s views while vehemently criticising those that do not undermines the very essence of judicial review and the rule of law,” they wrote. “In the light of the above, we urge the judiciary, led by the Supreme Court, to fortify against such pressures and ensure that the sanctity and continued on page 8 Haryana shooter behind firing at Salman’s house Gurugram, April 15 A Gurugram connection has come to the fore in the case of firing outside actor Salman Khan’s house in Mumbai. In the CCTV footage, one of the miscreants who opened fire is said to be Vishal, alias Kalu, a resident of Mahavir Pura Colony in Gurugram. After revealing the Gurugram connection, the Mumbai police have contacted their Gurugram and Delhi counterparts for details on Vishal. He is said to be a sharpshooter of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. A team of the Delhi Police also reached Vishal’s residence last night. INSIDE