10042025-TTC-01.qxd 4/10/2025 12:35 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 98 | 16 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 AFTER MUSLIMS, BJP MAY TARGET CHRISTIANS, SIKHS: RAHUL NATION /thetribunechd ASSEMBLY ADJOURNED SINE DIE AMID UPROAR OVER WAQF ACT J&K ROOF COLLAPSE AT DOMINICAN CLUB KILLS 113 WORLD RUSSIA INVITES PM MODI FOR VICTORY DAY PARADE BACK PAGE thursday | 10 april 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Pastor Jashan Gill surrenders in court GURDASPUR: Controversial pastor Jashan Gill on Wednesday surrendered in a local court even as a Gurdaspur police team had gone to Jammu to arrest him. Wanted in a rape case registered in 2023, Gill had been on the run. He is accused of raping a 22-year old girl, who died after abortion. INSIDE Encounters erupt in Udhampur,Kishtwar JAMMU: A day after Home Minister Amit Shah ended his three-day visit to J&K, two encounters between the security forces and terrorists began in the hilly areas of Udhampur and Kishtwar districts. The encounters started following intelligence inputs provided by locals to the J&K Police and the Army. INSIDE Dera chief out again on 21-day furlough ROHTAK: Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief and rape and murder convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim was released on a 21-day furlough from the Sunaria jail in Rohtak district on Wednesday. He left for the Sirsa dera under tight security in the morning. It is for the 13th time that the dera chief has been released from the jail. INSIDE Navy to get 26 Rafale-M End game for Tahawwur US extradites Mumbai attack key accused after years of legal battle jets in ~63,000-cr deal Ujwal Jalali CCS clears proposal to buy aircraft from France Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 9 The Indian Navy will get French-origin Rafale-Marine fighter jets for its aircraft carriers, the deal expanding the force’s arc of offensive operations at sea and adding new capabilities such as long-range precision-strike missiles to hit ships and air targets. In the event of a crisis, the Rafale-M jets can also be deployed to Indian Air Force (IAF) bases along the northern borders to bolster the IAF fleet of 36 Rafales. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the purchase of 26 Rafale-M jets. These aircraft will be procured from French aviation major Dassault at a cost of Rs 63,000 crore, according to sources. Deliveries are expected to commence three years after the contract is signed. The entire fleet is anticipated to be with the Navy by 2031. The deal includes weapons, simulator, spares, associated ancillary equipment, crew Deliveries are expected three years after the contract is signed. CAN ALSO BOLSTER AIR FORCE FIGHTER FLEET ■ Rafale-M jets can augment ■ Will be deployed on indige- the fleet of IAF’s Rafales ■ Is capable of carrying ScalpEG, a 650-km-range missile nous carrier INS Vikrant ■ To include 22 single-seater and four twin-seater jets training and logistics support for the Navy. This will include India-specific addons such as establishing a maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) hub, integration of India’s own Astra missile and sourcing from local suppliers. The Rafale-M is capable of carrying ‘Scalp-EG’, a 650km-range cruise missile. The jets, 22 single-seater and four twin-seater variants, will be deployed primarily on board indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. The Rafale-M purchase is one of the biggest military orders placed by the country after a tender was floated to get 97 Tejas Mark1A jets for Rs 65,000 crore. There were immediate comparisons on the social media of the price difference between the deals for Rafale-M and the IAF’s continued on page 10 Pak-bound faithful New Delhi, April 9 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana was extradited from the US on Wednesday and is expected to arrive here by a special plane on Thursday to face justice in the country for his acts of terrorism. Rana (64), a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, exhausted all his legal remedies to avoid being sent to Washington, April 9 Facing a global market meltdown, President Donald Trump on Wednesday abruptly backed down on his tariffs on most nations for 90 days, but raised the tax rate on Chinese imports to 125 per cent. It was seemingly an attempt to narrow what had been an unprecedented trade war between the US and most of the world to a showdown between the US and China. The S&P 500 stock index jumped nearly 7 per cent Punjab cops take Papalpreet into custody as NSA detention ends Tribune News Service Devotees collect their passports from an SGPC official at the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar on Wednesday ahead of their departure to celebrate Baisakhi in Pakistan. The neighbouring country has for the first time in 50 years issued a record 6,700 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims. PTI BSF jawan seriously hurt in rare IED blast along Pak border in Gurdaspur Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 9 A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan was seriously injured after an IED planted ahead of the security fence along the border with Pakistan detonated in Gurdaspur while a patrol was trying to defuse it. BSF officials said while the recovery of drones, narcotics and weapons in the vicinity of the fence was frequent, the detection of IEDs was rare. The incident occurred on the intervening night of April 8 and 9 while an area domination patrol was being conducted. The BSF has issued an alert along the 553-km border in Punjab and is reviewing its patrolling procedures taking into account the possibility of more IEDs being planted in border areas. A technical and forensic examination of the seized IED components was being undertaken and appropriate action would be initiated after the report was submitted, sources said. The BSF patrol detected suspicious items well inside the Indian territory. During the operation, the troops identified a suspected IED continued on page 10 Amritsar, April 9 The Punjab Police on Wednesday arrested Papalpreet Singh, a close aide of Khalistan sympathiser and Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, after his year-long detention under the NSA ended at Assam’s Dibrugarh jail. Soon after his release, Papalpreet was taken into custody in connection with the 2023 Ajnala police station attack case and brought to Amritsar. Maninder Singh, Amritsar (Rural) SSP con, firmed his arrest, stating that he would be produced before the Ajnala subdivisional court on Thursday. The development paves the way for the release of Amritpal, whose detention under the stringent NSA ends on April 23. He is likely to be arrested in the Ajnala police station attack case soon after his release. However, the authorities have not confirmed whether Amritpal will be released or face fresh charges. With Papalpreet’s release, Amritpal is now the only detainee remaining in Dibrugarh jail, continued on page 10 No mining in Aravallis till Aug 7, NGTtells Hry Sumedha Sharma Tribune news Service Gurugram, April 9 The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a show-cause notice to the Haryana Government and the Union Ministry of Environment for allegedly allowing mining in ‘protected’ forest area in the Aravallis. The tribunal also directed the state government to ensure no mining or stone crushing-related activity was carried out in the area till PROTECTED FOREST AREA BEING DUG UP ■ Petitioners claimed the Haryana Government auctioned one- fourth of 506.33 acres of the protected forestland for mining ■ The land was notified as a protected forest as part of ‘com- pensatory’ afforestation measures ■ The National Green Tribunal directed the government to ensure that no mining was carried out in the area till August 7 August 7. An NGT bench headed by chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava issued the notice on a plea filed by residents of Rajawas, a village located in the Aravallis in Mahendergarh district. The bench has asked the petitioners to explain within four weeks how 25 per cent of the protected forest land was auctioned to stone crushing units. The petitioners had ■ Tahawwur Rana, a close associate of prime accused David Headley, was under detention in Los Angeles after completing a 14-year sentence in 2023 ■ Rana is accused of aiding Headley by providing logistical support, including a visa through his Chicago-based firm, to scout targets in Mumbai India. He had filed a series of petitions before the US Supreme Court but all were dismissed. According to official sources, Rana, after landing in Delhi, will most likely Trump halts duty on 75 nations for 90 days, slaps 125% on China PK Jaiswar Vijay Mohan PROVIDED LOGISTICAL SUPPORT TO HEADLEY Tribune News Service claimed that the Haryana Government had auctioned one-fourth of the 506.33 acres of the protected forestland for mining and stone crushing activities thereby endangering the fragile ecosystem of the area. The 506.33-acre patch of the land at Rajawas village was notified as a protected forest as a part of afforestation measures being undertaken in compensation for diversion of forestland for non-forest purposes in the continued on page 10 c m y b BEIJING HITS BACK WITH 84% TARIFFS Beijing on Wednesday hit back at US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Chinese products by levying an 84% duty on its imports from America, intensifying the trade war between the top two economies of the world. INSIDE after the announcement, but the precise details of Trump’s plans to ease tariffs on non-China trade partners were not immediately clear. Trump posted on Truth Social that because “more than 75 countries” had reached out to the US government for trade talks and had not retaliated, “I have authorised a 90-day pause and a substantially lowered reciprocal tariff during this period, of 10 per cent, also effective immediately.” The 10 per cent tariff was the baseline rate for most nations that went into effect continued on page 10 be produced before the Patiala House Court where the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will seek his custody. India and the US had signed an extradition treaty in 1997 to transfer individuals accused or convicted of serious crimes. It ensures that fugitives cannot evade justice by crossing international borders. It is still unclear whether Rana continued on page 10 edit: rana’s extradition RBI cuts repo rate, loanstogetcheaper MUMBAI: Home, auto and other loans are likely to cost less as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut interest rates on Wednesday for a second consecutive time and signalled more easing to come as it sought to bolster the economy that is facing further pressure from damaging US tariffs. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), consisting of three central bank members and an equal number of external members, voted unanimously to cut the repurchase or repo rate by 25 basis points to 6 per cent. INSIDE edit: Repo rate cut