21062024-TTC-01.qxd 6/21/2024 12:47 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 144 NO. 171 | 16 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 PM MODI IN SRINAGAR, TO LEAD INT’L YOGA DAY EVENT TODAY J&K /thetribunechd ISRAELI FORCES POUND GAZA CAMPS, PUSH DEEP INTO RAFAH WORLD RBI ACTION SLOWED EAM LANDS IN SRI LANKA, GROWTH OF UNSECURED REVIEWS PROGRESS LENDING: DAS BUSINESS OF PROJECTS BACK PAGE friday | 21 june 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Paid ~32L for NEETpaper, 4 Bihar students tell police Kejriwal gets bail May be freed today| ED to file appeal| Victory of truth: AAP 2 accused too confess to crime | Burnt papers found Bhartruhari Mahtab Samad Hoque Tribune News Service New Delhi, June 20 In a huge relief to embattled Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, a court here on Thursday granted him bail in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam. AAP leaders hailed the development as the “victory of truth”. Kejriwal may walk out of Tihar Jail on Friday if the bail orders reach the authorities there. The development comes ahead of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, which is scheduled to begin on June 24, and after the recent denial to extend the interim bail to Kejriwal on health grounds. Vacation judge Niyay Bindu, who passed the bail orders, also declined the Enforcement Directorate’s prayer to keep in abeyance the bail orders for 48 hours to allow the agency to appeal against it in a superior court. The judge ordered Kejriwal’s release on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh, but imposed certain conditions, including that he would not try to hamper the investigation or influence the continued on page 6 Out of jail, murder convict molests 11 schoolgirls near Shimla, held Shimla, June 20 A middle-aged shopkeeper has been arrested for the alleged sexual harassment of 11 girls of a government senior secondary school at Chopal in Shimla district. A case under Section 8 of the POCSO Act has been registered against the suspect following a complaint by the school and the victims. Incidentally, the suspect has served a life sentence for committing a murder. According to local residents, the suspect is a former policeman. However, the police have not confirmed it yet. He was on the run after an FIR was lodged against him on Wednesday and was apprehended today. “The suspect runs a shop adjacent to the school. As per the complaint, he used to harass and touch the girls inappropriately when they went to his shop to buy continued on page 6 Tribune News Service Seven-term MP Mahtab picked Pro tem Speaker The bail is a major relief for the AAP chief after the party's poor show in the Lok Sabha poll. FILE 3 MONTHS BEHIND BARS NOV 2021 Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Govt brings in new excise policy JULY 2022 Delhi L-G VK Saxena recommends a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities in policy AUG CBI, ED register FIRs in case SEPT Delhi Govt scraps the policy OCT 30, 2023 ED issues summons to CM Kejriwal for questioning in money laundering case DEC ED issues two more summons JAN 2024 Yet two more summons issued by the ED, but Delhi CM Kejriwal doesn’t respond FEB 3 ED moves court against Kejriwal for skipping summons MARCH 16 Magisterial court grants bail to Kejriwal in ED’s case for skipping summons MARCH 21 Kejriwal held after the Delhi High Court denies him relief MAY 10 SC gives interim bail till June 1 for LS election campaign MAY 30 Kejriwal moves Delhi court seeking interim bail JUNE 5 Court denies interim bail to the CM on medical grounds JUNE 20 Court grants regular bail BUZZ ON CABINET REJIG IN PUNJAB AGAIN The bail to Kejriwal has lifted the spirits of Punjab AAP leaders, with CM Mann terming it the “victory of truth”. All Cabinet members and ministerial hopefuls too hailed the bail. Kejriwal’s release from jail will mean he will again be in direct control of the party affairs, especially in Punjab, where resentment has been brewing after AAP’s poor show in the LS poll. Though there has been talk of a Cabinet reshuffle, the party was unwilling to go ahead with it till Kejriwal was in jail. INSIDE New Delhi, June 20 Seven-term Lok Sabha MP Bhartruhari Mahtab was on Thursday appointed Pro tem Speaker by President Droupadi Murmu. As the Pro tem Speaker, Mahtab will oversee the oathtaking of the newly elected Lok Sabha MPs in the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, which commences on June 24 and will continue till July 3. Mahtab, who is from the Cuttack parliamentary seat, quit the Biju Janata Dal on the 2024 Lok Sabha poll eve to join the BJP and is the son of late Odisha CM Harekrushna Mahtab. “The President is pleased to appoint Bhartruhari Mahtab, member, Lok Sabha, as the Pro tem Speaker under Article 95(1) of the Constitution to perform the duties of the Speaker till the election of the Speaker,” Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said. continued on page 6 THE TRIBUNE INTERVIEW: GAURAV YADAV, PUNJAB DGP ‘Didn’t transfer cops due to drug nexus; Pak ISI behind menace’ PHOTO: ARPIT JAISWAL Tribune News Service Chandigarh, June 20 Two days after Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann announced the transfer of nearly 10,000 lower-rank police officials over their alleged connivance with drug peddlers, Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav strongly defended the personnel and cited administrative reasons behind the move. In an exclusive interview with The Tribune for “Decode Punjab” show, DGP Yadav, while speaking on several aspects of drug smuggling, said they had evidence about the involvement of the Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). “It (ISI) is behind drug smuggling in Punjab. It is the main actor behind narcoterrorism in India,” he said. The DGP said Pakistan, whose economy was in poor shape, seemed to be living off POLICE ALONE CAN’T FIGHT THIS BATTLE A multipronged strategy against drugs is in the works, but the police alone can’t fight drugs. Other agencies of the state as well as the Centre must chip in. ❝ illicit drug trade. “Since 2019, as many as 906 drones have been sent from across the border. This year too, the Punjab Police in coordination with the BSF shot down 101 of 247 drones so far.” continued on page 6 Komal’s brother fired at me too: Husband ‘HONOUR’ KILLING Says this wasn’t how love story was supposed to end Geetanjali Gayatri MOTHER HELD, SENT TO JUDICIAL CUSTODY Tribune News Service Chandigarh, June 20 When college sweethearts Komal and Anil Kumar decided to marry in February this year after a four-year romance, they were looking for a “happily ever after” but fate had other plans, as did Komal’s family. She died a gory death, gunned down by her brother, now arrested, at her in-laws’ place in Kaithal for marrying outside her caste five months after she tied the knot with Anil. Komal was a Gujjar while Anil belonged to the SC community. Speaking to The Tribune, Anil, shaken Aksheev Thakur ■ The police have arrested Komal’s mother Amita for her alleged involvement in the ‘honour’ killing case ■ Amita was involved in the conspiracy, say the police ■ Amita’s 17-year-old son allegedly killed Komal and surrendered after committing the crime INSIDE << Anil Kumar and Komal in happier times. FILE by yesterday’s turn of events, recounted the horror that unfolded in a matter of 30 minutes. Komal breathed her last in Anil’s arms. “I was on the terrace when I heard gunshot sounds followed by heart-wrenching screams. I ran down the stairs to the first floor and saw Komal’s brother running out of the house, a gun in hand. He tried to fire at me but missed. I hurled a few bricks lying nearby at him before running to where I had left Komal with him,” he says. Stunned to see the bloodsplattered floor where Komal, his mother and his sister lay, Anil rushed to scoop up his wife. “I had barely held her in my arms when she breathed her last. My mother is in hospital with a bullet embedded in her while my sister hurt her arm. continued on page 6 edit: ‘honour’ killing c m y b New Delhi, June 20 Amid allegations of NEET-UG question paper leak, four candidates arrested by the Economic Offences Unit of the Bihar Police confessed to having gathered at Ramakrishna Nagar in Patna on the eve of the exam and getting access to the question paper. In their confessional statements, which were shared by the police, it was revealed that each of the four students was charged nearly Rs 32 lakh. The police have arrested two key accused — Nitish Kumar and Amit Anand — who have also confessed to the crime. Nitish told the police that he along with Amit met his friend Sikandar P Yadavendu at Danapur Municipal Council office where the latter worked as a junior engineer, and told him that they could leak the question paper of any competitive exam. “Yadavendu then asked us if we could help 4-5 boys who are preparing for NEET-UG. We told him that it would cost Rs 30-32 lakh. Yadavendu agreed and said he would introduce us to the students,” Nitish said in his Activists protest against the NTA in New Delhi. MUKESH AGGARWAL MIDDLEMAN’S ARREST LED TO BIG EXPOSE ■ Bihar’s Nitish Kumar and Amit ■ Leaked paper matched the real Anand allegedly gave access to NEET paper to 4 for ~32L each ■ Students called to Ramakrishna Nagar in Patna on eve of exam and told to memorise answers one, claim students; cops arrest middleman, who blew lid off racket ■ Two accused and four students nabbed too; police later find burnt question papers in Patna NET PAPER LEAK, NEET ROW NTA FAILURE: GOVT Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said UGC-NET paper leak and NEET row showed the NTA’s institutional failure BACK PAGE confessional statement. Nitish, who is also facing charges for allegedly leaking the question paper of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam, also revealed that on the night of May 4, the candidates were made to memorise the questions along with answers. Amit, who also confessed to continued on page 6