28012025-TTB-03.qxd 1/28/2025 12:05 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 27 | 16 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  DELHI THOUSANDS OF GAZANS RETURN HOME AFTER HOSTAGE DEAL WORLD /thetribunechd L-G LAYS STRESS ON ECONOMIC REFORMS AT R-DAY EVENT J&K APPLICATIONS INVITED FOR POST OF SEBI CHIEF BUSINESS BUMRAH NAMED ICC TEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR SPORT tuesday | 28 january 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Uzbek chess player refuseshandshake with Indian,stirsrow WIJK AAN SEE (THE NETHERLANDS): Grandmaster Nodirbek Yakubboev’s refusal to shake hands with Indian GM R Vaishali stirred up a controversy at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament before the Uzbek apologised, saying that he meant no disrespect and didn’t respond to the gesture because of “religious reasons”. In a video shared by ChessBase India on social media, Vaishali can be seen extending her hand before the start of a fourth-round contest against Yakubboev, who sat down without responding to it, leaving the Indian visibly awkward. INSIDE Youth lynched over suspicion of cow smuggling in Palwal PALWAL: A murder case has been registered against 10 persons after a youth succumbed to injuries following an alleged mob attack in Mitrol village of Palwal district in Haryana. The attack occurred on Friday night over suspicion of cattle smuggling, leaving the youth dead and another injured. No arrests have been made so far. The deceased has been identified as Yusuf (28) of Mundkati village. According to the police complaint, Yusuf, who was allegedly engaged in the sale and purchase of cattle, and his aide Ravi (26) were transporting a cow and a calf in a tempo from Nagla village when they were stopped near Mitrol village by a group of individuals. The two were attacked, leading to Yusuf’s death. INSIDE India, China resolve to resume US hunts for illegal migrants in gurdwaras, Sikhs furious Mansarovar yatra, direct flights Tribune News Service Panel to meet soon to discuss concerns on trans-border rivers Ubeer Naqushbandi Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 27 India and China, in their ongoing efforts to iron out differences, today announced the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra from this summer and restart of the direct flights that were suspended during Covid-19. The announcement came after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong in Beijing. “They reviewed the India-China bilateral relations and agreed to take people-centric steps to stabilise and rebuild ties. The relevant mechanism will discuss modalities for doing so as per existing agreements,” said the Ministry of External Affairs while sharing details on Misri’s two-day visit to China that concluded on Monday. Until 2020, the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra was organised annually between June and September through the two official routes of Lipulekh Pass (since 1981) in Uttarakhand and Nathu La (since 2015) in Sikkim. The two sides also agreed to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at a meeting in Beijing on Monday. AP/PTI NEED MUTUAL SUPPORT, NOT MUTUAL SUSPICION ❝ China and India should commit themselves to mutual understanding, support and achievement, rather than mutual suspicion, alienation and mutual depletion. Xu Feihong, CHINESE AMBASSADOR TO INDIA (QUOTING WANG YI) hold an early meeting of the “India-China Expert Level Mechanism” to discuss sharing of hydrological data and cooperation on trans-border rivers. The Brahmaputra, Indus and the Sutlej originate in Tibet and flow through India. The development comes amid India’s concerns about a dam — Beijing claims it to be the world’s biggest — being built by China upstream on the Brahmaputra. Soon after his arrival in Beijing on Sunday, Misri met Liu Jianchao, the head of the influential International Department of the ruling Communist Party, which traditionally sets the tone for China’s foreign policy. Earlier in the day, Misri called on Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. “China and India should seize the opportunity to meet each other halfway. Both should explore more substantive measures and commit themselves to mutual understanding, mutual support and mutual achievement, rather than mutual suspicion, alienation and mutual depletion,” Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong posted on X quoting Wang. The relations between India and China had soured after a military clash along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in 2020. Following the four-year standoff, the two sides reached an understanding in October 2024 for reducing tensions and rebuilding faith. The relations improved over the past four months after several high-level meetings, including the one between PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Russia in October. SPIRITUAL ODYSSEY NDA MPs’ changes to Waqf Bill okayed NEW DELHI: The joint parliamentary committee reviewing the Waqf Amendment Bill on Monday finalised the draft law accepting 32 changes mooted by the ruling dispensation members in 14 clauses of the Bill and rejecting proposals for changes in 44 clauses by opposition MPs. The latter called the final draft “draconian”. BACK PAGE Home Minister Amit Shah, his wife Sonal and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath take a boat ride during the Maha Kumbh at the Sangam in Prayagraj on Monday. Shah described the Kumbh as a symbol of social harmony and unity. PTI BACK PAGE New Delhi, January 27 Law enforcement officials from the US Department of Homeland Security have started visiting gurdwaras in New York and New Jersey to check for the presence of illegal immigrants, drawing a sharp reaction from Sikh organisations, which see such actions as a threat to the sanctity of their faith. The Trump administration is looking to deport illegal immigrants and has sent a list of 18,000 Indian nationals to New Delhi. The antecedents of these individuals are being verified. The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said India was okay with taking back illegal immigrants. Within hours of Donald Trump being sworn in as the 47th President of the US, Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Benjamine Huffman continued on page 8 Narendra Modi Donald Trump PM, Trump vow to firm up ties NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump on Monday reaffirmed their commitment to advancing cooperation in technology, trade, investment, energy and defence. PM Modi and Trump spoke over the phone in their first interaction after the January 20 inauguration. They agreed to remain in touch and meet soon at an early mutually convenient date, the PM’s Office said in a statement. “The two leaders reaffirmed their commit- ment to a mutually beneficial and trusted partnership,” it said. They also exchanged views on global issues, including the situation in West Asia and Ukraine. The recent peace deal between Israel and Hamas was also welcomed by India. “They reiterated their commitment to working together for promoting global peace, prosperity and security,” it said. The PM congratulated Trump on his historic second term as the 47th US President. — TNS Mohali court sentences 3 shooters to life in Middukhera murder case Mohali, January 27 A Mohali court on Monday sentenced three shooters involved in the murder of Youth Akali Dal leader Vikramjit Singh, alias Vicky Middukhera, to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh each. Anil Kumar, alias Latth, Ajay Kumar, alias Lefty, and Sajjan Singh, alias Bholu, all members of the KaushalBambiha gang, were convicted on Friday. Besides murder, the convicts were sentenced to imprisonment for seven years under the Arms Act. Middukhera was shot dead in Mohali on August 7, 2021. The Davinder Bambiha group, in a Facebook post, had claimed the responsibility for the murder, stating that Middukhera was an “informer of the Bishnoi group”. He was also “helping Bishnoi in extortion” by passing on phone numbers of Punjabi singers and businessmen, the group OF 11 ACCUSED, THREE ACQUITTED, 5 ON RUN ■ On August 7, 2021, four fired 20 rounds at him assailants came in a ■ Nine bullets hit the vicwhite car bearing a tim as he ran for cover, Mohali registration numscaling the wall of a comber at Sec 71 market munity centre nearby ■ Middukhera had ■ In all, there were 11 come to meet his realaccused; 3 convicted, tor friend when two 3 acquitted and five masked men still absconding chased him and VICKY MIDDUKHERA had claimed. The court had framed charges against six accused — Kaushal Chaudhary, Amit Dagar, Ajay, alias Sunny, Sajjan, Anil Kumar and gangster Bhupinder Singh, alias Bhupi Rana — in November 2024. In all, there were 11 accused in the case, five of whom are still absconding. Rana, Dagar and Chaudhary, accused of conspiring the murder, were acquitted due to lack of evidence. Lucky Patial, Somvir, Shaganpreet Singh, Ravinder Chauhan and Dharminder Gogni, all accused of conspiring and arranging logistics for the murder, are absconding. The court has directed the Punjab DGP to expedite the process of extradition of some of the accused. According to police investigation, on August 7, 2021, four assailants intercepted Middukhera near the parking area of Sector 71 market after the latter left his friend’s office and fired around 20 bullets before fleeing the scene. Nine bullets hit the victim as he ran for cover, scaling the wall of a continued on page 8 IG, 7 other HP cops get life term After Masih case, SC appoints observer for Chd poll in Kotkhai custodial death case Satya Prakash Tribune News Service Ramkrishan Upadhyay GUDIYA RAPE-MURDER THAT SHOOK HIMACHAL Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 27 A special CBI court here today sentenced Himachal Pradesh Inspector General of Police Zahur Haider Zaidi and seven other police personnel to life imprisonment for the custodial death of a suspect in the 2017 Kotkhai rape-murder of a minor schoolgirl, widely known as the Gudiya case. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 1 lakh on each of the convicts. It directed that 90 per cent of the fine be provided to the family of the deceased. The other jailed police personnel include then DSP Manoj Joshi, Sub-Inspector Rajinder Singh, Assistant Sub-Inspector Deep Chand Sharma, Head Constables Mohan Lal, Surat Singh and Rafee Mohammad and Constable Ranjeet Steta. “Custodial violence is a matter of great concern and one of the worst crimes in a civilised society. It impacts ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ JULY 4, 2017: Schoolgirl goes missing on way home at Mahasu in Kotkhai (Shimla) JULY 6: The schoolgirl’s body found in Halaila forest JULY 7: Post-mortem confirms brutal murder after rape JULY 10: Himachal Govt forms SIT under IGP Zaidi JULY 13: SIT arrests five suspects, including Suraj JULY 18: Suraj dies due to torture at Kotkhai police station JULY 19: High Court trans- ■ ■ ■ ■ fers rape-murder, custodial death cases to the CBI AUGUST 29: CBI arrests 8 cops, including Zaidi APRIL 11, 2021: CBI court sentences accused Nilu, a woodcutter arrested for rapemurder, to life imprisonment JAN 18, 2025: CBI court convicts Zaidi, 7 others cops, but acquits former Shimla SP DW Negi JAN 27: All 8 cops sentenced to life imprisonment New Delhi, January 27 The Supreme Court on Monday appointed Justice Jaishree Thakur, a former Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, as an independent observer to physically supervise the Chandigarh mayoral election on January 30. eight police personnel on January 18 and the quantum of the sentence was pronounced on Monday. All the eight were tried for murder and other charges after Nepal-origin Suraj had died at the Kotkhai police station in Shimla district. Following massive public outcry after the schoolgirl’s rape-murder, the Himachal continued on page 8 Rejects plea for mayoral poll via show of hands Last year, returning officer Anil Masih was pulled up by the SC. filed by Chandigarh Mayor Kuldeep Kumar seeking a direction to the UT Administration to hold the mayoral election by show of hands instead of secret ballot to ensure fairness in the process. The Bench, however, rejected the request and said it would not interfere with the high court’s view on this issue. On behalf of the UT Administration, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said he had no objection to the appointment of an independent observer. Senior counsel Gurminder Singh, representing Kumar, suggested that the mayoral election should be by show of hands, instead of secret ballot to ensure fairness in the continued on page 8 U’khand UCC protects women in live-in ties:Panel chief THE TRIBUNE EXCLUSIVE Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service the credibility of the rule of law and administration of criminal justice system. In the instant case, an agitating mob set on fire the police station where the suspect died in custody. The abuse of police power is a matter of concern,” the court of Special Judge Alka Malik said while sentencing the convicts to life imprisonment. The court had convicted the “The election proceedings shall be conducted in the presence of the learned observer. The proceedings will be duly videographed,” a Bench led by Justice Surya Kant ordered. “The learned observer shall be paid an honorarium of Rs 1 lakh by the Chandigarh Administration within a week,” it said. The order came on a petition New Delhi, January 27 The BJP-ruled Uttarakhand on Monday became the first state in the country to roll out the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) to govern matters related to marriage, divorce, live-in relationships and succession across faiths. Barring the 2.9% population of the Scheduled Tribes, the UCC will cover everyone in the state. As the law took force with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami unveiling the UCC portal in Dehradun today, Shatrughan Singh, Chairperson, UCC Rules and Implementation Committee, Uttarakhand, spoke to The Tribune about what would change after today. He said the UCC dealt mainly with three segments — marriages/divorces; live-in ties and succession. The main theme, he said, was granting equal, if not more, rights to women than men. “From today, all discriminatory practices such as Today’s issue is of 16 pages, including four-page Delhi Tribune. c m y b Shatrughan Singh polygamy and nikah halala are outlawed. The UCC protects women in live-in ties and is positively biased towards them. Women in live- in ties, until they remarry or enter another relationship, can claim maintenance in case of abandonment. Her male partner won’t have this right,” he said. Noting that all marriages, live-in relationships and divorces will now need registration, Singh added that children born to live-in couples will have the same rights as those born to married couples or adopted by them. “Marriages can be registered with sub-registrars, identified in UCC law as block village development officers. Live-in relationships will have to be registered with SDMs,” Singh said, adding that non-disclosure of live-in ties would invite jail terms and fines. “Whoever stays in a live-in relationship for over a month from starting it without making a statement will be punished with jail up to 3 months or fine up to Rs 10,000 or both. Anyone making a false statement can be punished with up to 3 months in jail and up continued on page 8