27112024-TTC-01.qxd 11/27/2024 12:44 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 144 NO. 328 | 14 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 TRUMP TO IMPOSE TARIFFS ON CANADA, MEXICO, CHINA WORLD /thetribunechd US, INDIAN TROOPS HOLD JOINT DRILL IN KASHMIR VALLEY J&K ANDHRA MAY SUSPEND POWER PACT WITH ADANI BUSINESS INDIA PLAYING ROLE OF VISHWA BANDHU, SAYS PREZ MURMU BACK PAGE wednesday | 27 november 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Hindu monk held in B’desh, his lawyer killed in clashes IMRAN SUPPORTERS STORM ISLAMABAD, 6 COPS KILLED Delhi, Dhaka engage in war of words after arrest on ‘sedition’ charge Tribune News Service Security personnel use tear gas shells to disperse an anti-government rally by supporters of ex-PM Imran Khan in Islamabad. REUTERS INSIDE SC bins plea on junking EVMs for ballots Says parties allege machines tampered with only when they lose poll New Delhi, November 26 At least one person was killed in clashes in Bangladesh’s Chattogram between security forces and Hindus protesting the arrest of a religious leader even as India asked the neighbouring nation to ensure the safety of Hindus and all minorities. The clashes were triggered by the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a monk associated with International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), from the Dhaka airport area on Monday on several charges, including “sedition”. He was taken to the court today, which denied him bail, sparking protests by his supporters in different districts, including Dhaka, Chattogram, Cumilla, Khulna, Dinajpur and Cox’s Bazar. As the monk was being taken to jail, around 2,000 of his supporters, chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans on the court premises, disrupted the movement of the prison van and demanded his immediate release. The police and members of Border Guard Bangladesh fired sound grenades and charged batons at the protesters to clear the ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Das in a police van in Chattogram, Bangladesh, on Tuesday. AP/PTI way of the van. “A Muslim lawyer defending Das was killed amid protests outside the court in Chattogram,” said police officer Liaquat Ali. The arrest and the batoncharge triggered a sharp exchange of words between India and Bangladesh. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it had noted with “deep concern” the arrest and denial of bail to Das, and also the “attack on the minority community members who were protesting peacefully”. “It is unfortunate that while the perpetrators of vandalism and arson against minorities remain at large, charges have been pressed against a religious leader presenting legitimate demands through peaceful gatherings,” the MEA said in a sternly worded statement. It said Bangladesh must ensure the safety of Hindus and protect their right to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression. In response, the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry said “Das’ arrest was its internal matter”. “Bangladesh notes with utter dismay and deep sense of hurt that the arrest has been misconstrued by certain quarters… such unfounded statements not only misrepresent facts, but also stand contrary to the spirit of friendship and understanding between the two countries,” it said. continued on page 10 edit: minority persecution New Delhi, November 26 The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking the reintroduction of ballot paper in place of electronic voting machines (EVMs), saying allegations of tampering with electronic voting machine (EVM) are raked up only when people lose elections. A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and PB Varale dismissed a plea filed by petitioner-in-per- son KA Paul to return to the ballot system due to the alleged manipulability of EVMs. “When you lose, EVMs are tampered with; when you win, EVMs are fine,” remarked the apex court when the petitioner referred to the statements made by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his predecessor Jagan Mohan Reddy on EVMs. Farm union leader Dallewal detained at Khanauri border Shinde quits as Maha CM; suspense over successor continues Blast at rapper Badshah’s bar in Chandigarh post ‘extortion’ bid Aditi Tandon Chandigarh, November 26 Two low-intensity crude bomb blasts occurred outside Seville, a bar and lounge owned by renowned rapper Badshah, and De’Orra in Sector 26 here during the wee hours of today, sending the police in a tizzy. CCTV footage from Seville captured two suspects arriving on a motorcycle around 3.15 am. One suspect, partially covered by a shawl, threw a crude bomb at Seville’s entrance and ran away from the spot. The blast, however, caused no damage. Shortly after, the same suspect targeted De’Orra’s entrance, hardly 30 metres from Badshah’s club, resulting in shattered glass. While Seville was unoccupied, a few employees at De’Orra were inside and rushed out upon hearing the explosion. The police were informed around 3.30 am, who arrived at the scene and began an NIA starts probe into Manipur violence NEW DELHI: The NIA has began investigation into three major cases related to the recent spate of violence in Manipur, including the immolation of a tribal woman, the November 11 encounter between CRPF and suspected militants as well as the kidnapping and murder of six members of a Meitei family. INSIDE ReplyonRahul’s‘dual’ citizenship,govttold LUCKNOW: The Allahabad High Court has directed the Centre to place before it on December 19 the decision taken on a petition moved against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that claimed he concealed his British citizenship in contesting the Lok Sabha poll from Raebareli seat this year. — PTI Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 26 Eknath Shinde of the Shiv Sena today resigned as the Maharashtra Chief Minister, paving the way for the formation of a new government. Shinde submitted his resignation to Governor CP Radhakrishnan, who asked him to continue as the caretaker Chief Minister till the new government takes oath. In an “all-is-well sign” among the BJP-led NDA allies at a time of hectic parleys around the name of the next CM, leaders of all three coalition parties accompanied Shinde to the Governor. Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP and Ajit Pawar of the NCP flanked Shinde as he submitted his resignation to the Governor. Meanwhile, discussions continue on the appointment of the next CM. The competition is between Fadnavis and entertain? We cannot go by assumptions. Every method has its plus and minus points. We cannot entertain this,” it had told the petitioner, the general secretary of the Congress’ Mathura District Committee. The petitioner-in-person Nandini Sharma had said “concerns of the opposition parties about the EVMs must be first addressed by holding elections via ballot paper”. — Agencies Amit Sharma BJP BANKING ON MANDATE ■ Shiv Sena’s Deepak Kesarkar, a minister in the outgoing Shinde Cabinet, said, “We hope for a CM candidate from our ranks but the final decision will rest with PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, which we will accept” ■ The BJP is arguing that the massive mandate of 132 seats for it is a sign that people want a CM from the saffron party Shinde. The Shiv Sena has cited the Bihar model of 2020 to stake claim to the CM’s post. Shiv Sena’s Deepak Kesarkar, a minister in the outgoing Shinde Cabinet, today said the new government would be sworn in at the earliest. Asked about the party’s stand on CM-ship, Kesarkar said, “We hope for a CM candidate from our ranks but the final decision will rest with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, continued on page 10 Another explosion outside nearby club Tribune News Service PM Narendra Modi holds a book titled “Art & Calligraphy in the Constitution of India” at a ‘Samvidhan Divas’ event in New Delhi. PTI CELEBRATING CONSTITUTION Year-long celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the Constitution’s adoption kicked off with President Droupadi Murmu’s address in Parliament on Monday. PM Narendra Modi said the spirit of ‘nation first’ would keep alive the Constitution for centuries to come. RAVI KUMAR PATIALA: The Punjab Police on Tuesday detained farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who was scheduled to launch his indefinite fast as part of the ongoing movement of farmers over their pending demands. He was taken to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital for a medical check-up. “We did not want a face-off with the protesting farmers and the whole operation was kept under the wraps. It was conducted within 20 minutes without any interference from anyone,” said a senior official. The detention led to outrage among the farmers. A large number of activists owing allegiance to the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) converged at the Khanauri border amid a heavy police deployment. INSIDE It said, “When Chandrababu Naidu or Jagan Reddy lost, they said EVMs could be tampered with; when they win, they don’t say anything. We are dismissing this. This is not the place where you argue all of this.” In March, the Supreme Court had refused to entertain a similar PIL, seeking directions to conduct the Lok Sabha elections through ballot paper. “How many petitions shall we Police collect evidence outside Sevillee, a bar and lounge owned by renowned rapper Badshah, in Sector 26, Chandigarh, on Tuesday. GOLDY BRAR BEHIND INCIDENT? ■ A Facebook post from an account under the name Goldy Brar went viral, claiming responsibility for the club attacks ■ The post alleged that Goldy Brar and Rohit Godara, associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi group, were behind the incident ■ It said the club owners were previously approached for protec- tion money but ignored the demands, leading to the blasts investigation. Broken pieces of jute rope were recovered from the site. “It was a crude bomb containing nuts and nails,” said a police official. The police said they were investigating all possible continued on page 10 Planted drivers, witnesses: Ambala lawyer takes courts for a ride over mishap claims Bhartesh Singh Thakur Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 26 A CBI Special Judicial Magistrate’s court in Panchkula has taken 17 years to convict 15 people for forging documents, impersonating people and planting chauffeurs of vehicles as well as the vehicles themselves to obtain compensations from insurance firms in motor accident claim cases. Nine of the accused died during the endless trial. The court revealed an elaborate scheme in which a group of lawyers and their associates, like clerks and munshis, manipulated the Motor Accident Claim Tribunals (MACTs) — which are presided over by session judges — to give compensations in hit-and-run cases. The modus operandi was simple enough. Vehicles that had nothing to do with the accidents were used by the scamsters to claim compensation from hit-and-run cases — the mishaps were real, just that the vehicles involved were different, while the drivers of the vehicles and the witnesses were planted. The CBI investigated only 25 such motor accident claim cases, although the then Ambala district judge — the first anonymous complaint in the matter had come from Ambala as long back as April 2002 — said that the scam may run into “hundreds of cases”. The total compensation in these 25 cases investigated by the CBI amounted to Rs 1.11 crore, although with a nine per cent increase in interest, the amount goes up to approximately Rs 1.5 crore. Significantly, one factor was common in all the compensation cases — they were all filed through advocate SPS Chauhan, who also hailed from Ambala. Over 17 years, which is how long the trial took, and after ~1.11-CR FRAUD, 17-YEAR TRIAL A CBI court in Panchkula takes 17 years to convict an Ambala advocate and 14 others in 25 cases of bogus insurance claim involving ~1.11 crore. Nine of the accused died during the period of trial. the deposition of as many as 107 prosecution witnesses, CBI Special Judicial Magistrate Anil Kumar Yadav sentenced Chauhan, his junior VP Kaushal and two others to three-year rigorous imprisonment on November 11. Another 11 persons were sen- c m y b tenced to six-month imprisonment on the same day. It all began with a letter to the Punjab and Haryana High Court on April 6, 2002. Bhagat Ram of Ambala, whose address was unspecified, claimed that advocate Chauhan was earning millions by arranging “hired” vehicles and drivers in hit-and-run cases to obtain compensation from insurance companies. Ram alleged that Chauhan had the support of judicial officers, attracted by financial incentives and the free use of Chauhan’s fleet of cars. After getting a report from the Ambala district judge, the High Court on April 19, 2004, ordered a CBI investigation. In August 2006, after two years, CBI inspectors Balbir Singh and IMS Negi filed the first chargesheet detailing the alleged scam. According to the CBI, Chauhan and his associates approached accident victims’ families, offering to handle their claim cases for free. They fabricated evidence by planting unrelated drivers, vehicles and witnesses, often with forged documents, to support the claims. Addresses in the claim files were often falsified to conceal the real identities of claimants, drivers, vehicle owners and witnesses. They allegedly pocketed 25%-50% of the settlement amounts. A supplementary chargesheet followed in 2007. The CBI ultimately investigated 25 claim cases filed from 1997 to 2001 and charged 30 people. However, no judicial officers were charged. Nine of the accused died during the trial. Among the cases investigated was that of Randhir Singh, an auto driver who died in 1999 in Thanesar, Kurukshetra. After initially declaring the accident untraceable, Head Constable Dharampal reopened continued on page 10