https://t.me/velarch BENNETT, COLEMAN & CO. LTD. | ESTABLISHED 1838 | TIMESOFINDIA.COM | EPAPER.TIMESOFINDIA.COM

* INCLUSIVE

NEWS DIGEST

Roger Moore, 7 times 007, dead Roger Moore, the suavely insouciant star of seven James Bond films, died on Tuesday after a short battle with cancer. He was 89. While he never eclipsed Sean Connery in the public's eye as the definitive Bond, Moore did play the role of 007 in just as many films as Connery did. P 15

Tiger safari in lion land by 2018: Tigers, reported extinct in Gujarat in 1998, will again be seen in the state by 2018. The Gujarat forest department has identified around 40 hectares of land in Tilakwada area for setting up a tiger safari. P 4

1 killed, houses burnt in Dalit-Thakur clashes: In

OF

AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2017 | PAGES 26 | PRICE ` 3.00

AHMEDABAD TIMES (FOR AHMEDABAD

AND

GANDHINAGAR CITIES ONLY)

New arena of terror: Suicide bomber Army’s ‘punitive kills 22 leaving Manchester concert strikes’ across LOC IS Claims Worst Attack On British Soil Since 2005

22-YR-OLD KILLER’S PARENTS MIGRATED TO UK FROM LIBYA ➤ Manchester Arena, Europe’s largest indoor theatre, packed to capacity of 21,000 for 23-year-old American singer Ariana Grande’s concert

Katrin Bennhold, Steven Erlanger & Ceylan Yeginsumay

Manchester: Salman Abedi, a 22-year-old British man whose parents had emigrated from Libya, was identified by the police on Tuesday as the suicide bomber who killed 22 people, including several children and teenagers, as an explosion tore through fans leaving an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena. Some 59 people were also

➤ Huge bang outside auditorium as crowd began leaving at end of concert ➤ Salman Abedi, a 22-year-old British man whose parents had emigrated from Libya, identified as suicide bomber ➤ IS claims attack, the worst in UK since the 2005 London bombings that killed 52 Volunteers help the injured inside Manchester Arena after the blast

BROKEN. FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, I AM SO SO SORRY. I DON’T HAVE WORDS —Ariana Grande

 Narrow escape for Indian doc & daughter, P 15 FULL COVERAGE P 15 when the London serial bombings left 52 dead. Abedi lived in a house just 3.5 miles from the arena, where he detonated a homemade bomb in a public concourse around 10:30pm on Monday. The police also arrested a 23-year-old man outside a ne-

arby supermarket. It was not immediately clear whether or how that man was connected to the attack. The British government did not make any immediate comment on the claim by the Islamic State, which said on social messaging app Tele-

gram, “One of the soldiers of the caliphate was able to place an explosive device within a gathering of the crusaders in the city of Manchester.” “We now know that a single terrorist detonated his improvised explosive device near one of the exits of the ve-

more violence between Dalits and Thakurs in UP, one man returning from a Mayawati meeting in Shabbirpur village of Saharanpur district was shot dead and his friend grievously wounded on Tuesday, after they were waylaid by a mob. P 9

injured in the blast when Abedi, 22, detonated an improvised explosive device shortly after American pop star Grande had finished her performance on Monday night. It was the deadliest terrorist attack on British soil since 2005,

IAF jet with 2 pilots missing: A Sukhoi-30MKI jet with

Keep ‘moderation’ this yr: HC to CBSE

two pilots is feared to have crashed after it went missing 60 km from Assam’s Tezpur airbase, near the Line of Actual Control with China, on Tuesday. India has so far lost seven Sukhoi-30s. P 8

‘Bail to undertrials on 1/3rd of term’: The Law Commission is ready with recommendations intended to bring in revolutionary changes in bail jurisprudence which, if implemented, would help free undertrial prisoners languishing in jails for years. It recommends that an undertrial be released on bail after being incarcerated for onethird of the maximum sentence for the offence. P 8

Abhinav Garg @timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Stressing that no one can “play with the lives and future of children” the Delhi high court on Tuesday prohibited the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) from scrapping its “moderation policy” to evaluate Class 10 and 12 board students this year, whose results are expected in the next few days. A bench of acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Pratibha M Singh made it clear to the board that “rules can’t be changed after the game has begun” and directed it to conti-

Glitches mar DU’s online registration

I

t’s been over a day since Delhi University opened its centralised online registration for admissions. But in a first since DU went online in 2012-13, not a single applicant could complete the registration in the initial 24 hours — thanks to inactive tabs, confusion over course details and inadequate information. Till the filing of this report, a basic requirement for registration — the ‘information bulletin’ — wasn’t available, forcing aspirants to attend ‘open day’ sessions for rudimentary information. In past years, the bulletin was uploaded a day in advance. TNN

nue with the grace marks or moderation “policy that was in vogue when the students submitted the examination forms” to evaluate the Class 10 and 12 board exams this year. “We are deeply concerned at the manner in which a

change of policy has happened, which may completely change the academic future of students from Delhi,” the bench noted, reminding CBSE’s controller of examinations - who was present in court defending the sudden re-

versal of policy - that many students awaiting Class 12 results have already recieved conditional offers from prestigious universities abroad. “Some may have taken loans, mortgaged property. It will be such a tragedy if their conditional offer from universities abroad gets revoked because of this change in your policy because their offer is based on a certain fixed manner of evaluation. It would cause grave and irreparable financial loss to the children,” the bench underlined, wondering why CBSE took such a decision after examinations got over. Continued on P 14

Chandra Swami dead: Self-styled godman Chandraswami, who counted among his friends and disciples ex-PM P V Narasimha Rao and actress Elizabeth Taylor, died in Delhi on Tuesday at 66. P 10

NEW TERRITORY

Africa a top priority for India, says Modi TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Germany supports India’s OBOR stand: Germany shares India’s concerns on China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative strategic programme as a “top down exercise”, German ambassador Martin Ney said in New Delhi on Tuesday, days before the fourth round of inter-governmental consultations to be presided over by PM Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. P 9 An Asiatic lion moves around freely outside Reliance Defence & Engineering Ltd's shipyard at Pipavav in Amreli district on Tuesday afternoon. A pride of around 25 has made the area around Pipavav port and the adjacent shipyard their permanent home

Gandhinagar: Highlighting India’s historical, cultural, economic, educational and technical ties with Africa, PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday underscored that Africa has been made a top priority for India's foreign and economic policy since he assumed office in 2014. Reiterating India’s commitment to support development of Africa, Modi pushed for an “Asia-Africa growth corridor” supported by Japan and India-a pitch that comes close on the heels of China's multi-billion dollar OBOR (One Belt, One Road) initiative. “India is also working with the US and Japan to support development in Africa. During

PM Modi with AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina in Gandhinagar

my visit to Japan and after meeting with PM Abe, I recall that in our joint declaration we mentioned the Asia-Africa growth corridor and proposed further conversation with our brothers and sisters of Africa,” the PM said while officially opening the African Development Bank’s annual meetings, being held in Gandhinagar. Continued on P 2

It’s govt’s responsibility to protect its honest officers, says former coal secy Subhash.Mishra @timesgroup.com

Lucknow: A day after he was sentenced for his alleged role in the Coalgate scam that took place during the UPA government, then coal secretary H C Gupta told TOI on Tuesday that a government must protect its honest officials. A CBI court had convicted the retired IAS officer on Friday for alleged irregularities in the allotment of coal blocks in 2008, and announced the sentence on Monday.

Jindal summoned as accused in coal case

A

special court has summoned industrialist Naveen Jindal and others as “accused” in a case related to the allocation of a coal block in Madhya Pradesh. CBI alleged that the accused had cheated the coal ministry and got “wrongful gain and pecuniary advantage”. P 8

“The government should see officers’ conduct and service, and protect the honest ones,” said the 1971-batch UP cadre officer, adding that it was the responsibility of the government to ensure no honest officer faced such a situation in the future as it would send a wrong message to the cadre. On his conviction, Gupta said, “What shall I say about myself? I am what I was before

the judgment and after it. Main apne baarey mein kya kahoon. All of you know me and my colleagues know how I have worked in my 35 years of service.” The huge outpouring of support from the IAS fraternity gives him a sense of satisfaction even in these trying times, he said. Even before his conviction, when he was charge-sheeted a few months ago, his colleagues took to the print and so-

cial media, vouching for his honesty and impeccable service record. They went to the extent of calling upon the government to correct his “honest mistakes”. D K Mittal, another retired officer of the UP cadre, said that “if Gupta has to go to jail, then all of should not be here and be in jail”. During the trial, the IAS officers’ Association raised the issue of culpability in decision making. Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said that genuine errors in commercial decisionmaking must be decriminalised. Continued on P 14

nue, deliberately choosing the time and place to cause maximum carnage and to kill and injure indiscriminately,” British Prime Minister Theresa May said in a televised statement. NYTNEWSSERVICE Continued on P 14

ED arrests CA in Misa Bharti benami probe he Enforcement Directorate has arrested a CA in connection with its probe into alleged money laundering and acquisition of benami properties by RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s daughter Misa Bharti. The CA, Rajesh Agrawal, reportedly helped people with black money legitimise their cash via shell firms. Sources said Agrawal gave Rs 1.2 crore in cash to arrested Jain brothers from Delhi, and money eventually reached Misa’s company, M/s Mishail Packers and Printers Private Limited, through a web of transactions. TNN P14

T

hit Pak bunkers

Video Clip Shows Observation Posts Being Blown Up

‘PAK SUFFERED CASUALTIES’

[email protected]

New Delhi: India has cranked up military pressure along the 778-km Line of Control with “punitive fire assaults” against Pakistan army posts and terror launch pads, which have become fiercer after the beheading of two Indian soldiers in the Krishna Ghati sector on May 1. The Army said on Tuesday that targeted fire assaults, with light field guns, anti-tank guided missiles, heavy mortars, rocket launchers and “infantry tanks”, are being conducted to “proactively dominate” the

➤ Light field guns, mortars, anti-tank missiles, rocket launchers and infantry tanks used in a string of attacks ➤ A video clip (pic above) shows some Pak army posts in Nowshera sector being blown up on May 9; India claims Pak suffered casualties in the strikes LOC and “destroy locations aiding infiltration of terrorists” as part of the overall counterterrorism strategy. Continued on P 14

Man tied to jeep was instigating mob: Maj TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Major Leetul Gogoi, who used a Kashmiri, Farooq Ahmad Dar, as a ‘shield’ to prevent mobs from attacking Election Commission personnel in Budgam last month, told television channels on Tuesday that he had caught hold of Dar on realising that he could have been the ring-leader of stone-pelters. The Army Major said Farooq Ahmad Dar, whom he had tied to the fender of his jeep as a shield against those pelting stones during the J&K bypolls, was initially standing about 30 metres from it among a group of stone-pelters. “I immediate-

Human shield calls it ‘murder of justice’

F

arooq Ahmad Dar, who was tied to a jeep’s bonnet as a shield against a stone-pelting mob, described the Army’s award to the officer as “murder of justice”, reports Aarti Singh. A shawl embroidery artisan, Dar said he’s still traumatised. P 14

ly told my boys (colleagues) to catch hold of him. He was instigating the crowd and might have been the ringleader. When he saw us, he started running towards the crowd and got on his bike. Somehow, we caught him,” the Major recalled. Continued on P 14

https://t.me/velarch

TIMES CITY THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2017

TIGER SAFARI IN LION LAND BY 2018; GOVT OKAYS FOREST DEPT PLAN FOR PARK AT TILAKWADA | 4

NEARLY EXTINCT GREAT INDIAN BUSTARDS NOW FACE THREAT FROM HIGH TENSION WIRES | 4

India expected to grow at 7.7% in 2018: Arun Jaitley TOI

Says India Has Contributed To The General Capital Increase Of AfDB

SIDELIGHTS The cosy couch

T

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Gandhinagar: Finance minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday said that India is a bright spot among the major economies of the world and is expected to grow at rates of 7.2% and 7.7% in 2017 and 2018 respectively. “Global growth is projected to rise and economic activity is finally picking up. On the other hand, there is an increasing possibility of disruption in the global economy due to inward looking policies of some advanced countries,” the minister said at the inaugural ceremony of the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) annual meetings on Tuesday. “Throughout this challenging time, India has remained a bright spot among the major economies. India is expected to grow at 7.2% and 7.7% in 2017 and 2018, respectively. The slew of reforms and initiatives taken by the government will further to improve the attractiveness and competitiveness of India globally,” he added. About the partnership of India and AfDB, he said that India has contributed to the general capital increase of the bank. For the African Development Fund’s (ADF) 14th replenishment cycle (2017-19), India has pledged $14.5 million each as grant and bridge loans. According to Jaitley, Africa is approaching an exciting time. India and Africa should navigate through this journey together, and shape their common future. “Africa has also been doing well, recently, on the economic frontier. I stand here with conviction that the 21st century will not only be Asia’s century alone; it will belong equally to Asia and Africa,” he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries at the summit on Tuesday. Modi formally opened the 52nd African Development Bank’s annual event

Agriculture is fertile ground ‘Armed forces need strong support’ for fruitful collaboration: PM TIMES NEWS NETWORK

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Gandhinagar: With agriculture playing a critical role in their economies, India and Africa both see a lot of scope for partnership and knowledge sharing. “This (agriculture) is an area where India and the bank can fruitfully join hands,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while formally opening the 52nd African Development Bank’s (AfDB) annual event on Tuesday. The theme of AfDB annual meetings, currently being held at Gandhianagar, is ‘Transforming Agriculture for Wealth Creation in Africa.’ “I have launched an initiative to double farmers’ incomes by 2022,” said PM Modi. “It will require concerted steps, ranging from improved seeds and optimal inputs, to reduced crop losses and better marketing infrastructure.” “India is keen to learn from your

CONTINENT OF OPPORTUNITIES

Glory of Gujarat thrives in faraway Madagascar [email protected]

Ahmedabad: Kawnene (pronounced Conan) Reza Fidahoussen, a young Madagascan, who participated in the African Development Bank (AfDB) Annual Meetings with his father, is excited to be in Gujarat. And why not? His family emigrated to the east African island over a century ago from Lalpar, a village 25 km away from Jamnagar, and it is his first Kawnene Reza Fidahoussen (R) visit to his ancestral motherland. with his father “What amazes me is how easily we can communicate with the locals here in an island,” he said. Gujarati - a language we still speak at “The group that started off from the home and with relatives in Madagascar,” coast of Gujarat was caught up in a said Kawnene. “Of course, my language storm and landed at the island instead has a tinge of French and Malagasy, but of mainland Africa, in countries such as it still shows how language travels across Tanzania and Kenya which were Gujathe globe and is conserved,” he said. rati strongholds,” said Kawnene, adding, It’s not just the lan“I don’t know how true it guage though. is, but it’s fascinating how Kawnene and his fathe communities create ther are eager to make collective memories.” the most of their trip Like all immigrants, by trying out authenthe Fidahoussens also had tic Gujarati cuisine, and a ROOTS & WINGS left their native with barely visit to Lalpar. “Ladva and anything more than the clothes rotlo are not foreign to us. Gujarati prep- on them, in early 19th century, and then arations are frequently made and en- became successful traders. The family joyed by families and community at has maintained its import-export busilarge, but we are enamoured by the ness for three generations. famed Gujarati spread,” said Kawnene, Kawnene adds that new-generation currently a student of agriculture in Gujarati youths in Madagascar are Canada. also going into sectors such as telecom“We belong to the Khoja commu- munications, energy and production nity that has settled in many east Af- apart from the thriving retail business, rican nations for long. There is a leg- for which Gujaratis are renowned end of how we ended up in Madagascar, across Africa.

HARVESTING IDEAS

(Africa’s) experiences as we proceed on this initiative,” Modi added. Africa can also benefit from the Indian experience in development of agriculture sector. “From being dependent on imports for food security, India has achieved self-sufficiency in food in last three years,” said AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina. “We need to follow India’s model of agriculture. Agriculture can help eradicate poverty in a big way,” Adesina added.

Ahmedabad: It is mandatory for self-financed schools to submit either an affidavit, stating their fees are within the specified cap under the new structure, or an application for keeping the fees higher than what is prescribed by the Fee Regulatory Committee (FRC). In case the schools fail to do so, FRC will decide the fees of respective schools on suo motu basis, and the schools will be forced to accept the fees so fixed. Interestingly, after the formation of the Ahmedabad FRC, only six applications have been received from schools to keep fees higher than the prescribed cap. This apart, around 118 affidavits have been submitted from Ahmedabad city while 50 were submitted from Ahmedabad rural stating their fees are according to the new structure. Similarly, 355 affidavits were received from Banaskantha, 12 from Patan, 64 from Sabarkantha and 34 from Kutch. State education secretary, Sunaina Tomar, said, “The law empowers the committee to decide fees on a suo motu ba-

55 schools in city reduce fees ver 55 schools in Ahmedabad city and rural have decided to reduce their fees in accordance with the new structure prescribed by Fee Regulatory Committee (FRC). Most of these schools have reduced fees. The difference being in the range of Rs 350 to Rs 7,000. There are around 1,200 schools in Ahmedabad city and rural. TNN

O

sis, if schools do not submit an application with necessary account-related documents seeking permission for levying higher fees within the specified deadline i.e. by May 24.” “Schools that have been granted relaxation by the court are the only ones exempted

Ahmedabad: Arun Jaitley, the Union finance minister who also holds the defence portfolio, on Tuesday said that the government supports the Indian Army’s pre-emptive action across the Line of Control to fight infiltration and terrorism. “Such actions are needed to ensure peace in J&K,” Jaitley said in a tweet. On the sidelines of a discussion on ‘Global growth through Indian economy’, organized in Ahmedabad by the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Jaitley said that strong leadership was necessary to take tough calls on national security. “There have always been challenges to national security,”

Jaitley said. “Previous governments at the Centre had been suggesting that Pakistan be isolated on the international front. However, it is important to take tough decisions in the interest of national security.” Jaitley said Indian soldiers had crossed the LoC in September last year to carry out a surgical strike. “Our armed forces were always capable and they should be supported by a strong leadership,” Jaitley said. “Earlier, when our soldiers were beheaded in Pakistan, the Indian Army had said that their sacrifice won’t be in vain. Every day, our forces protect our country’s borders and stop infiltration.” The Indian Army on Tuesday said it had attacked Pakistani military posts and inflicted ‘some damage’ along the LOC in Jammu & Kashmir in a recent ‘punitive assault’ as part of its counter-terrorism strategy.

Luminaries light up opening ceremony Continued From, P1

T

he ceremony was attended by presidents of Benin and Senegal, the vice-president of Cote D’Ivoire and many other heads of state of African countries. “Research institutes of India and Japan have come up with vision documents in consultation with African thinktanks on how to take forward this growth corridor,” Modi said, adding that this vision document would be presented at the board meeting later. The idea is India, Japan and other willing partners would ex-

RICH PICKINGS ➤ India is the fifth largest investor in Africa having invested US $ 54 billion in past 20 years ➤ Agriculture is an area where India and AfDB can fruitfully join hands ➤ India pledged $ 29 million for the most recent African Development

Fund replenishment ➤ India has supported establishment of a New Development Bank’s regional centre in South Africa. ➤ By next year, no village in India will be without electricity

plore joint initiative in development of skills, infrastructure, manufacturing and connectivity. “Africa-India trade has multiplied in the last 15 years, it has doubled in the last five years to reach near $ 72 billion in 2014-15.

India’s commodity trade with Africa in 2015-16 was higher than our commodity trade with the US,” Modi said. In the sports arena, India cannot compete with Africa in the long distance running. But I can

assure you that India will stand with Africa and support the continent in long and difficult race for better future. Expressing a hope that AfDB event will further cement the relationship between India and the countries of African continent, union finance minister Arun Jaitley stated that the 21st century will not only be Asia’s century alone but it will belong equally to both Asia and Africa. AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina, too, stated that the bank would be looking forward to creation of India-Africa co-financing facility in near future.

PM delays departure, reviews pet projects Officials Say He Was Not Happy With Progress In Some Initiatives TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Gandhinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday delayed his scheduled departure by more than four hours to review his pet projects that were initiated when he was Gujarat chief minister. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, deputy CM Nitin Patel and top officials

FRC to fix fees suo motu for schools skipping process TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Africa produces only 10% of the global food output despite having 60% of the arable land in the world. On the contrary, India has to support its population (17% of the world population) with 2% of world land mass. “But we have met this challenge successfully, and there is a significant scope for the agricultural sector in Africa to benefit from the Indian experience,” said Union fi nance minister Arun Jaitley, who is in Gandhinagar for the event. “Also, with the changing global landscape for agriculture and food security, India and Africa can emerge as key partners in this area,” Jaitley stressed. Irrigation practices, post-harvest and export infrastructure, farm mechanization for soil health and water management, food processing technologies, pulses production and contract farming are some of the areas where there could be co-operation between India and Africa, say experts.

till the deadline specified by the court,” said Tomar. Spokesperson of the Selffinanced Schools Association (SFSA), Dipak Rajyaguru, said, “We moved the high court earlier this month, against the deadline set by the fee regulatory committee. All members of the association, therefore, have a window till June 15, as stated by the high court.” “Schools affiliated with state education board, CBSE and other boards are all members of the association,” Rajyaguru said.

“Around 100 schools from Ahmedabad district affiliated with several education boards are part of the association. The applications haven’t been submitted due to the revised deadline of June 15 granted by the Gujarat high court,” said Raja Pathak, member, SFSA.

GU VC denies rumours of marks increase Ahmedabad: Gujarat University vice-chancellor Himanshu Pandya on Tuesday denied having issued any instruction to the examiners to increase marks in already assessed answersheets in order to improve result of second semester of BCom exams. A strong rumour spread across the university campus and commerce colleges that the coordinators have asked the examiners to increase marks of all those students who attained 10-15 marks to 23 marks so that they get 10 grace marks and are declared pass in the tests. The instructions allegedly were issued after many of the assessors completed assessment of answersheets and when they came to the authorities to submit the bunch of answersheets. When the VC was asked about the issue, he said, “No such instruction is issued for increase in marks. Somebody appears to be spreading rumours by using my name.” In the past, poor result in BCom exams led to student agitations. TNN

briefed him about the progress in various infrastructure projects. Sources said Modi discussed with Rupani, Patel and other senior BJP leaders the political developments in the state and the possibility of senior Congress leaders, including leader of opposition (LOP) Shankersinh Vaghela, joining the ruling party. When contacted, Nitin Patel said that Modi had done a review of various projects, including the work on Statue of Unity and Narmada canal. “PM also reviewed ICreate start-up initiative; Ghogha (Bhavnagar)-Dahej (Bharuch) Ro-Ro ferry service; and Dholera SIR projects among others. He also made a few suggestions,”

Patel said. However, the deputy CM denied there was any discussion on Vaghela. “PM focused only on the state’s core issues. He was supposed to leave at 1:00 pm but left at 4:30 pm,” Nitin Patel said. Official close to the development claimed that Modi was not happy with the slow progress in key projects. “For instance, the Ro-Ro ferry service was supposed to start from May but that is not possible after monsoon. He was not happy with the slow pace of work on Narmada canal network and the work on Statue of Unity project. Icreate is also not working according to his expecations,” an official said. Gujarat BJP president Jitu Vaghani and other senior leaders of the party also met Modi at the Raj Bhavan. The PM is expected to visit Gujarat again in June for various programmes.

he grand convention hall at Mahatma Mandir hosted PM Narendra Modi and representatives from 56 African nations and experts from across the globe with the plush couches for the dignitaries. The same couches, after the event got over, became the perfect place to take the afternoon siesta for the government officials with the airconditioning and central location.

Not so smart

T

he participants at AfDB annual meetings were issued access cards with unique QR codes. The police personnel checked the details of the card and allowed the entry — something which the organizers had successfully done at VGGIS 2017. However, this time around, the scanners just refused to work. On Monday and Tuesday, only handful of scanners did its job whereas for others, police had to manually check the credentials.

Meeting some old acquaintances

P

M Narendra Modi who was leaving the convention hall to meet African dignitaries on Tuesday morning stopped for a while when he spotted Nirmal Kumar, IIM-A alumnus and founder of G-Auto, in the crowd and called upon him to chat.

Language on their minds

D

ue to its linguistic diversity, all major functions at AfDB meeting had at least four booths for English, French, Arabic and Portuguese language translators at the venues who immediately translated the speech for the listeners. While events such as VGGIS also had somewhat similar arrangements, the state government officials who were part of the arrangements were amazed at the speed and efficiency of the translators who ensured that the topics are not lost in translation.

3,000 students get less than 0 in GujCET TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad: Nearly 3,300 students have scored minus marks in the Gujarat Common Entrance Test (GujCET) whose results were declared on Tuesday. The high number of students scoring in the negative is largely because, for the first time, the test has introduced 0.25 negative mark for every wrong answer. Officials of Gujarat education board said on the condition of anonymity that as negative marking was introduced this year, many students were caught unawares and had even answered questions about whose answers they were unsure. “Hence around 3,300 students had scored in the negative, some as low as minus 26. This means some students had answered104 question wrong in a paper of 120 questions,” an official said. The state government had opted out of Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and made GujCET compulsory for engineering and pharmacy admissions, on the ground that Gujarati-medium students were not able to do well in JEE. A total 1,32,391 students took the GujCET this year. Out of these, 66,473 had taken the test in A group (physics, chemistry and mathematics) while 65,542 had appeared in the B Group (phy-

Hussain, the exception

sics, chemistry and biology subject) exams. The remaining 376 students took both A and B group (physics, chemistry, biology and mathe-

matics) exams. Officials said that this year, 665 students in A group had 99 percentile score while 662 had scored this high in the B group. Further, 34,113 students in A group have scored over 50 percentile while 33,001 students in B group have a score of over 50 percentile. However, the results declared on Tuesday have proved Gujarat students do better in JEE than they had done in this year’s GujCET. The officials further said that in JEE last year, the number of students scoring negative marks was around 500 while this year in GujCET more than 3,000 students have scored in the negative.It was a moment of celebration for the Irani household. Hussain, a member of the household, had scored 112.50 in GujCET. The young boy had scored 95.64% in his board exams. He wants to pursue engineering at DAIICT. Hussain is yet to decide the branch of engineering he would like to pursue.

Figuring the score on engineering merit list TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat education department has decided that the merit list for admissions to pharmacy and engineering courses will be prepared on the basis of percentile score in Gujarat Common Entrance Test (GujCET) and the percentile score in respective board examinations given weightage at a 40 to 60 ratio. For example, a student who has scored 90 percentile in GujCET, but has scored 80 percentile in Gujarat board or any other board, will find his or her GujCET marks multiplied by 0.4 and board marks multiplied by 0.6 and added together to decide the merit score. In the given case the merit score will be 36 from GujCET and 48 from board exam, totalling 84 on the merit list. Authorities said only percentile score will be taken into consideration for

preparation of merit list and not percentage marks obtained. Only in case of ties, percentage of marks obtained in the board examination shall be considered to decide relative position on the merit list. Authorities said that in case of candidates with equal merit marks, to decide positioning, they would first consider marks obtained by the candidates in mathematics and physics. If the tie continues then physics and chemistry, and then mathematics, physics and chemistry will be considered. If still a tie continues after considering the science subjects then the percentage obtained in English will be considered to decide position of the candidate on the merit list. If even that is not sufficient to settle the position, aggregate marks obtained in board will be considered, said authorities.

https://t.me/velarch THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2017

RTI: Lawyer seeks info on judge’s IQ Asks If Sessions Court Judge Has ‘Zero Or Negative’ IQ TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad: In a weird request under the Right to Information Act (RTI), a lawyer has asked for details about the intelligence quotient (IQ) of a sitting judge at the city sessions court. Annoyed at the judge’s courtroom behaviour and style of judicial functioning, an advocate practising at the city sessions court, Anand Brahmbhatt, filed an applica-

tion under the information law asking the court registrar and principal sessions judge to furnish information about the judge’s IQ and whether his IQ is ‘zero’ or in the negative. Brahmbhatt’s application reads, “If the above mentioned judge has taken any competitive exam in which the IQ was judged, whether he was allowed to take any such examination, and give specific information on whether his IQ was zero or in negative.”

Girls go AWOL, spin abduction yarn on their return home Ahmedabad: Two 11-year old girls, as neighbours at Sector 4 in Vivekanandnagar, were reported missing by their parents to Vivekanandnagar police station on Tuesday morning. The girls returned home after six hours, with some help from Ramol police. The girls first claimed that they were abducted but then confessed to having spun the yarn for fear of scoldings from their parents. Vivekanandnagar police said Dipali and Aarti, residents of Vivekanandnagar and students of class VII at a local school, were playing near their hoGIRLS’ DAY OUT mes. They then disappeared around 10.30am and did not return for a long time. The worried parents reported the incident to the police after an extensive search. “Meanwhile, the girls approached Ramol police chowky and told the cops that they had gotten lost, after which they were taken home at about 5 pm. After their initial claims that they were abducted by two persons who made them unconscious, the girls confessed that they had gone out in an auto just for a ride and had also bought some sugarcane juice from a hawker. They then forgot their way home and approached police,” said an investigator.

Casting aspersions on the judicial officer’s efficiency, the applicant sought details on whether the Gujarat high

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad: A team of the state antiterrorist squad (ATS) nabbed five persons from Ashram Road on Tuesday with 3kg of gold concealed in electric motors. The case was handed over to city crime branch for further investigation. ATS officials said that after receiving intelligence about suspected smuggling, a team watched Hotel Poonam Residency on Ashram Road on Tuesday and found five persons who matched the description. When the cardboard boxes in their possession were checked, police found electric motors used in home appliances such as blenders. On closer inspection, they found gold ingots concealed in the motors. Those arrested are two persons from Kutch — Razzaq Mathda, 26, Ibrahim Kumbhar, 21, both residents of Mandvi, Ramzan Sandhi, 19, a resident of Mundra. The two others are from Kerala, Shahbuddin Abdul Rahman Chengla, 26, and Abdul Fahad NA, 26, both residents of Kasargod

AMC Issues Orange Heat Alert For Sunday TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad: Sultry weather on Tuesday clouded memories of rain that had lashed the city for the past two days; even worse, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) says that severe heat is set to return. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) on Tuesday issued an orange alert for May 28. Ahmedabad was hit by rain and thunderstorm on Sunday and Monday because of pre-monsoon activity. Many parts of the city also received hailstorms on Monday evening. But heat engulfed the city again on Tuesday with maximum temperature touching 41.2°C; 25.8°C minimum temperature was recorded. From afternoon to evening on Tuesday, Amdavadis were assailed by sweltering heat, with relative hu-

105kg seized in 2 years A report earlier this year had found that there was an eight-fold rise in gold smuggling between 2012 and 2015. The country had imposed a 10% import duty on gold in 2013. Customs officials had seized 104.38kg of smuggled gold, worth Rs 28.59 crore in 2014 and 2015. Over 90% of the carriers and smugglers who were caught had come from places in the Middle East such as Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.

district. “On questioning them, it was revealed that the three men from Kutch had worked in Dubai and had brought with them duty-free gold, cheaper than the prevailing market price. To evade the customs at the airport, they had concealed the gold in electric motors of mixer-grinders. They recently found buyers in Kerala and had agreed to deliver the goods on Ashram Road. In total, about 3kg of gold smuggled from Dubai was seized from the group,” said an ATS official. Crime branch officials took custody of the accused late on Tuesday night. They added that the two groups, from Kerala and Gujarat, will be questioned about whether they have been involved in similar offences in the past.

Science Express eyes multiple world records [email protected]

Ahmedabad: The Science Express: Climate Action Special (SECAS), is set to break a number of world records by the end of its current, its ninth, run. Officials at city-based Vikram A Sarabhai Community Science Centre (VASCSC) have started on the paperwork to claim the records. The Science Express (SE) has got six records to its name in the 2017 edition of Limca Book of Records, in most SE has bettered its own records. An initiative started in October 2007, the mobile exhibition has completed eight phases, which includes four phases of ‘Science Express’, three of the ‘Biodiversity Special’ (SEBS) and one ‘Climate Action Special’ (SECAS) phase. Dilip Surkar, director of VASCSC, the institution that manages the train, said that with the current run, they hope to break a number of world records. “Thanks to the national records, we have good documentation of the achievements and want to carry this forward. The record book has already recognized it as the longest running mobile science exhibition,” he said.

court got the judge medically examined to know his “mental status” and sought details on whether the judge was diagnosed with mental illness at such an examination. The application, which was accepted by the city civil court’s correspondence department on Monday, raised many questions about the judicial officer’s academic career. The applicant asked which years the judge had cleared his board exams in, gra-

After rain, heat back with a vengeance

Five held with 3kg gold hidden in electric motors Investigation Handed Over To City Crime Branch

3

TIMES CITY

THE RECORDS ➤ Largest climate change awareness programme | SECAS during its 19,800km run between October 2015 and May 2016 has covered 64 locations in 20 states and directly reached 20 lakh visitors ➤ Most expensive train ticket | For the run, Indian Railways issued its most expensive ticket to date, worth Rs 12,64,37,164, in the name of Dr A B P Mishra, scientist, DS&T, on October 13, 2015 ➤ Longest running mobile science exhibition | Science Express was launched on October 30, 2007. It has travelled 1,37,115km in its eight runs as on March 22, 2016. This is listed as a world record ➤ Most visited mobile science exhibition | The train halted at 442 stations in 1,554 exhibition days. During this period, it drew 1.52 crore visitors ➤ Most students performing experiments | At the on-board “Joy of Science” lab in one coach of the train, 4,01,227 students have performed experiments in science, mathematics and environment science ➤ Most visitors to a science exhibition in a day | When SECAS halted at Anajmandi railway station near Rewari in Haryana on December 11, 2015, it got 63,996 visitors

midity ranging between 71% and 36%. The AMC issued yellow alert for the Thursday-Saturday period. Maximum temperature is likely to hover around 42-43°C. On Sunday, mercury is likely to reach 44°C. Yellow alert is issued to give initial warning about extreme heat when the temperature is expected to be 4243°C. If such conditions prevail for long, orange alert is issued. According to the IMD, south-westerly to westerly winds brought moisture over Gujarat region due to which humidity level increased in many parts of the state. Maximum temperature also increased in 11 of the 23 places being monitored by the IMD-Gujarat. Amreli town in Saurashtra was the hottest place in the state with maximum temperature reaching 42.5°C. IMD-Gujarat said that thunderclouds are likely to gather over Ahmedabad on Wednesday evening. Light to moderate rainfall is also likely to occur in districts of North Gujarat whereas dry weather will prevail in Saurashtra, South Gujarat, and Kutch regions.

duated and obtained his law degree. The lawyer also requested information about trials undertaken and years spent by the judge in clearing these exams. The applicant lawyer also asked if there is a complaint pending against the judge before the high court and for information about it. Other details sought were about the judge’s verdicts, his assets etc. In his application, the lawyer says he is seeking the information as a common citizen and if the authorities are reluctant to part with the details, they should deny the request by citing rules/sections of the law, and not just casually deny the information.

Man reports arson at shop Ghulam Mohammad Memon, owner of Maa Developers on Relief Road, has reported a case of arson to Karanj police on Monday. Memon said his office furniture was burnt and a water cooler and some tiles were damaged in a fire on Monday morning. When Memon saw CCTV footage of the incident, he saw that two persons had come near his office on a scooter at 4 am and had thrown an flammable liquid into his office and fleeing towards the GPO. He claimed he had suffered a loss of Rs 3 lakh in the incident. TNN

2 girls jump into river, one rescued TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) reported two incidents of girls jumping into the Sabarmati on Tuesday. While firemen rescued one 16-year-old girl, another 16-year-old girl died. AFES officials said the first incident took place on Tuesday afternoon when a girl, identified as Parin Patil, a resident of Vyaswadi, had jumped off Subhash Bridge. She was quickly spotted by passersby and an AFES team reached the spot and fished her out. She was taken to Civil Hospital but was declared brought dead. In another incident within the hour, a girl, resident of Juna Vadaj, jumped from the walkway below Dadhichi Bridge. “Sushma (name changed), was quickly pulled out and given first aid,” said an AFES official. “She told us that her parents had separated and she was living with her mother and grandmother. She had been beaten by her family because she had gone to meet her father,” said an AFES official.

‘Biodiversity parks in all districts soon’ Ahmedabad: Ganpat Vasava, minister of forests and environment, Government of Gujarat, announced on Monday that the government would set up biodiversity parks at district level to showcase best biodiversity elements of the district at one place. The announcement was made at Science City where the minister inaugurated celebrations of International Biodiversity Day. “Gujarat is blessed with richness

of biodiversity. However, in order to make it more people-friendly and create awareness about conservation, biodiversity parks will be set up soon,” said Vasava, adding that initiatives such as Van Mahotsav at district levels aim for the same thing. Other participants at the event were Shabdsharan Tadvi, MoS (forests and tribal development); Kuldeep Goyal, PCCF; and A K Shrivastav, chairman, Gujarat Biodiversity Board. TNN

https://t.me/velarch 4

THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2017

TIMES CITY

Penalty waiver mooted for sale of farmland by industries Currently, Industries Have To Pay Govt 40-100% Of Jantri Rate

Industries in agri zone?

T

[email protected]

Gandhinagar: Gujarat government appears to have accepted a long-pending demand of industries and the real estate sector as it has decided to alter a key revenue law through ordinance. Provision 63AA/89 of the Tenancy (amendment) Act of 2015, allows industries to acquire agricultural land. “Any industry which fails to use this agricultural land within 3 to 7 years of acquiring it and wishes to sell it to another company has to pay the government 40% to 100% of the jantri rate. This often proves too expensive for companies,” a source said. Now, the state government wants to change the 2015 law and waive the requirement of paying the government 40% to 100% of the jantri rate, if the industry wants to sell it for bona fide industrial purposes. It may be recalled that in March this year, the state government had taken a controversial but industryfriendly decision to ease the norms for selling the forest land to companies. A source close to the development said that several companies had made a representation to the government claiming that their money was stuck in land because of change in their business plans.

“The industries further said that due to high penalty they had to pay the government, they were unable to sell the land to other companies,” the source said. “Hence, the government has decided to alter the law and allow either waiver of penalty or maximum possible concession so that a new industry can come up,” the source said. The government has also proposed another amendment which can help realtors who have bought a lot of very costly land owned by farmer mandalis (co-operative societies), religious or welfare trusts. “Such land, if sold to farmers, could not be regularized or sold. But the 2015 amendment allowed such land to be regularized by paying 10% premium, if any non-farmer came between sale transactions of two farmers,” the source said. The source further said that now the state government had decided to allow such regularization even in cases where the non-farmer was a mandali or trust and not an individual. “Currently, under the rules, three ti-

Naroda Gam case: Two more defence witnesses examined TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad: Two more witnesses appeared before the special investigation team (SIT) court hearing Naroda Gam massacre case on Tuesday in defence of an accused, Jagdish Prajapati. Like 83 other persons, accused number 33 in this case, Prajapati, is being tried on charges of rioting and violence that occurred on February 28, 2002, in which 11 persons were killed at Naroda Gam. Prajapati’s brother-inlaw, Ramesh Prajapati deposed before the special judge PB Desai and said that the accused was at his home from the evening of February 27 to March 1, 2002 morning. He told the court that the house-warming ceremony was held on February 28, at Tirupati Society on Dehgam Road, and the accused was with him on the day of rioting. The witness was crossexamined by the prosecution. He was questioned whether he has got any documentary evidence sho-

he state government's high power committee of secretaries has also decided to allow zone change in cities if industry has taken land in agriculture zone for units under rule 63AA.Experts said that this will compromise the purpose of town planning as anyone will be able to buy land in agriculture zone for industrial purposes or convert it for other uses under various rules.“The state government have to change the entire General Development Control Regulation (GDCR) to allow industrial construction in non-industrial zones,” an expert said.

mes the penalty (calculated at jantri rate) has to be paid,’’ the source said. When contacted, Gujarat’s revenue minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama said the government is planning many reforms to boost industries. “But the information cannot be shared at present as the reforms are still under consideration,’’ Chudasama said. Sources said that the proposed changes in the law will free a lot of land in cities like Ahmedabad though this will come at the cost of the government’s financial interest. “Also, the government’s decision can be challenged in court as lakhs of people gave their excess land under the agriculture land celling act. Some smart players had converted their excess land to mandali-owned land or shifted ownership to some trust on paper,” a source said.

Class X board exam results on Monday

Nearly extinct, bustards now face shocking threat

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

IUCN Member Urges Govt To Lay Power Cables Underground

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) announced that results of the class X board exam will be put out on Monday, May 29. The state board will put the results on its website (www.gseb.org) by 8am. Students can collect their markshe-

ets from schools later in the day. State education board officials confirmed that marksheets would be distributed to schools between 11am and 4pm. More than 11 lakh students took the class X board exam. The class XII general stream exam results will be declared next week.

HARNESSING THE RENEWABLE Yogesh Chawda

Like 83 other persons, accused number 33 in this case, Jagdish Prajapati, is being tried on charges of rioting that occurred on February 28, 2002, in which 11 persons were killed wing that the ceremony was held on the particular day. To this, he denied having any written material to substantiate the claim. However, another defence witness in Shankar Vaghela appeared before the court to substantiate Ramesh Prajapati’s claim that the accused was at Dehgam Road and not at the place of rioting on February 28, 2002. Vaghela said that he is a neighbour to Ramesh, and that he knew Jagdish Prajapati as Ramesh’s brotherin-law. He met Jagdish at the venue during the ceremony. He said that he could not say at what time he met the accused, but that he was present at the event.

Himanshu.Kaushik @timesgroup.com

Ahmedabad: The state government’s recent decision to allow 16 more overhead power lines through the area encompassing habitat of the Great Indian bustard, a critical endangered species, has sent alarm bells ringing among wildlife lovers and environment activists. Each line will carry 11kV power, creating huge threat to the birds, which are classified on the Red List of IUCN as critically endangered. Devesh Gadhavi, a member of IUCN and also the local Corbett Foundation wants the power to be transmitted through underground lines without causing further threat to the species. “The government should act now, or else it would be too late,” said Gadhavi. “We have written to chief minister Vijay Rupani and have requested that bird diverters be installed on the power lines that have been erected, and that all future power lines in this area should be underground,” Gadhavi said. Gadhavi, and the foundation, will also write to Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change, and the National Board for Wildlife, to ensure that the no new overhead high-tension lines come up in areas within the flying range of Great Indian bustards. The wildlife activist said that recently, on May 13, a Great Indian bustard had died after

Times View

I

n 2011, the state forest department had issued an unprecedented order to a power transmission company asking it to run cables underground, after 500 flamingoes were fried by high tension wires in Khadir region of Kutch. The department should make this order a norm mandating that all high tension power cables passing through bird sanctuaries and nearby areas, are laid underground, especially when it concerns survival of birds like the Great Indian Bustard which is on the verge of extinction.

colliding with high-tension wires in Kanoi village, Rajasthan. “GIB habitats in Gujarat have become surrounded by a network of overhead power lines and pylons increasing the chance of local extinction of the species,” Gadhavi said. “When large numbers of flamingos died due to collision with power lines in Khadir region of Kutch, the power line was moved underground. GIBs, too, are facing the same threat,” added the wildlife activist. “We have decided to take the issue up at the highest level and write to the MoEFCC to lay new lines underground and ensure that bird reflectors are installed on existing overhead power lines,” said Gadhavi. “There are only 20-odd Great Indian bustards left in the

area,” added Gadhavi. There are already 220 kV overhead lines through the range of the Great Indian bustard in Gujarat, and they have 13 cables making it difficult for the bird to fly through, said Gadhavi. “To provide a suitable and undisturbed breeding ground to the species, the forest department has taken all measures and developed safe breeding enclosures. As a result of their efforts, three GIB chicks survived in 2016,” said the activist. “But the installation of pylons and other developmental activities by the Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Limited (Getco) in areas adjacent to protected forest areas are threatening the birds,” Gadhavi added.

Tiger safari in lion land by 2018 Govt Okays Forest Dept Plan For Park At Tilakwada Himanshu.Kaushik @timesgroup.com

Labourers use a solar panel for charging a mobile phone

Defence personnel being trained in cyber security TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad/Rajkot: A tri-services workshop ‘Cyber Security of Embedded Systems’ began at INS Valsura from Monday under the aegis of vice-admiral A R Karve, commanding-inchief Southern Naval Command. The workshop was inaugurated by commodore Indrajit Dasgupta, commanding officer of INS Valsura.

The five-day workshop will be attended by senior officers and men from all three services. Academicians, domain experts and senior scientists from renowned Indian naval units like WESEE (Weapons and Electronics Systems Engineering Establishment), SEG (Software Engineering Group) and DIW (Directorate of Information Warfare) will share knowledge and experience.

In the prevalent cyber threat environment, it is incumbent for the armed forces to safeguard critical information and embedded systems which are omnipresent on battle platforms. As IT experts across the globe struggle to survive the ongoing global cyber attacks, the Indian armed forces gathered together to brainstorm and have hands-on training on cyber security at INS Valsura at Jamnagar.

Ahmedabad: Tigers, in 1998 reported extinct in Gujarat, will again be seen in the state by 2018. Gujarat forest department has identified around 40 hectares of land in Tilakwada area for setting up a tiger safari. The forest department had sent a proposal in this regard for the state government’s consideration. A senior officer said the department had already received Rs 2 crore for fencing work to begin. “The state government has given an in principal approval for setting up a tiger safari in Tilakwada area, on the lines of the lion safari in Devaliya near Sasan Gir. The proposed site will be only 20 km from the Sardar Sarovar dam,” the

officer said. Another senior official in Gandhinagar said that once the proposal is given final approval, it will be sent to the Central Zoo Authority of India which will then decide from where to get zoo-bred tigers. “The 40-hectare park with 8 zoo-bred tigers, including four cubs, will be a centre of attraction for tourists coming to Kevadia. Rs 4 crore has been allocated for the first phase of project

19-year-old accident victim will give life to 3; kidneys, liver to be donated TOI

He Will Live On In Three Sons, Says Youth’s Father [email protected]

Ahmedabad: A 19-year-old youth, Shubham Patel, who died in a road accident on Saturday, will give a new lease of life to at least three persons, as his family members decided to donate his two kidneys and liver. His family also tried to donate his heart and two eyes, but failed, as those vital organs were damaged in the accident, doctors said. Shubham, a second year BSc student, was a resident of Nikol. He met with an accident on May 19 on Bavla – Bagodara road in Ahmedabad district, when he was on his way to Bhavnagar for the event management firm he worked for. The accident occurred when Shubham’s bike slipped from the road and he sustained seve-

Shubham Patel, a second year BSc student, was killed in an accident on May 19

re injuries leading to brain haemorrhage. He was first treated at two Ahmedabad-based private hospitals and later shifted to Lions hospital in Mehsana, where he finally succumbed to his injuries. Shailesh Patel, his father, said, “When the doctors said that my son was brain dead, I decided that I will

donate his vital organs to some needy people.” “I told the doctors to arrange organ donation procedure so that my son may give a new lease of life to somebody else’s near and dear one,” said Patel, adding, “His vital organs like kidneys and liver were donated at the Mehsana hospital.” “The happiness of giving the organs of my son to some needy people has reduced the grief of losing him. I wish other people also become aware about organ donation,” Patel added. Recounting memories of his son, Patel said, “Shubham always wanted to remain independent. So, he started working with an event management company to reduce my financial pressure.” “He died but his organs will empower some other persons to become independent,” Patel said. Dr Dhiren Shah, city-based cardiologist, said, “Shubham’s family wanted to donate his heart, too, but due to the accident, oxygen could not reach his lungs, and ultimately his heart could not be donated.”

GCCI to hold elections for 25 posts 34 Applications Received Since Tuesday TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industries (GCCI), is set to hold elections for around 25 posts on June 17. These posts include senior vicepresident, vice-president, chairperson and co-chairperson of business wo-

men’s wing (BWW) and other members in business association and regional chamber. “The distribution of application forms began on

Tuesday and forms will be accepted till May 27,” said Sailesh Patwari, senior vice president, GCCI. Within the first two days, around 34 forms were issued for various posts. Patwari, who is currently the senior vice president, will now be elevated as the president-elect of GCCI. “The counting of votes, as well as the results, will be declared on June 18,” said Patwari. “We have appointed retired IAS officer and former chief secretary of

Gujarat, P K Laheri, as the election officer for the upcoming elections,” he said. Jayendra Tanna, president of Gujarat Traders Federation has filled in his application for the post of vice president. Other applications include that of K T Patel, currently vice president, who will contest for the post of the senior vice president along with Praful Talsania and Babubhai Patel as life members, and a few others for BWW working committee.

planning and development,” the officer said. As in Devaliya lion safari, tourists will be taken around in the park in closed buses for a closer look at the big cats. Gujarat’s forest and environment minister Ganpat Vasava said that the tiger park will be built near Kevadia dam site. “It will be a major attraction for tourists. The forest fepartment is also exploring the possibility of a rescue centre and also an enclosure in the vicinity of the dam site,” Vasava said. The forest department official said that 8 tigers will be from two different prides and a tourist will be able to watch at least one pride as was being done in Devaliya. “A leopard enclosure in the vicinity is also planned at the same site,” the officer said.

CITY DIGEST

NID director awarded

Professor Pradyumna Vyas, director of National Institute of Design (NID), received an award for his contribution towards progress of design education, during the Edutainment Awards 2017 in Mumbai. The two-day event was organized on May 19 and 20 in joint effort of The Times of India, Businessworld and Event Capital, which provides a one-stop platform for design, information, education, entertainment and media to celebrate a broader canvas of Indian talent. Vyas was invited for the inaugural address along with eminent film director Ramesh Sippy and Bollywood actress Divya Dutta.

WR to run special trains between Ahmedabad, Varanasi Western Railway (WR) on Tuesday announced a special AC train between Ahmedabad and Varanasi once a week between May 26 and June 17. A statement from WR said, Train number – 09421 will run on every Friday from Ahmedabad to Varanasi on May 26, June 2, 9, 16 and 23. On return journey, train number 09422 from Varanasi to Ahmedabad will run on every Sunday.

https://t.me/velarch

21 Baroda schools seek nod for charging over fee cap TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Vadodara: A total of 349 schools of seven districts falling in Vadodara zone have submitted affidavits declaring that the fees that they are charging are below the prescribed upper limits fixed by the Gujarat government under the Gujarat Self-Financed School (Regulation Fees) Act 2017. On the other hand, 21 schools from the seven districts that fall in Vadodara zone have submitted proposals to get the zonal fee regulation committee’s nod for charging fees higher than the upper limits. The upper limit of fees

The upper limit of fees that private schools can charge has been fixed at Rs 15,000 for primary, Rs 25,000 for secondary and Rs 27,000 for higher secondary level under the Act that private schools can charge has been fixed at Rs 15,000 for primary, Rs 25,000 for secondary and Rs 27,000 for higher secondary level under the Act. On Tuesday, 111more schools of Vadodara district submitted affidavits after which the total number of schools

making such declarations reached 273 in the district. These include nine schools of Vadodara district. Eight city-based schools which submitted proposals on Tuesday include Podar International School, Ambe Vidyalaya, VIP Road, The Mother’s School, Gotri Road,

UP IN FLAMES

AROUND GUJARAT

Amitnagar, Karelibaug and VIP Road schools of Bright Day School, Vasna-Bhayli and VIP Road branches of Bright play centre. Earlier, Shiinor-based C A Patel Learning Institute based in Mota Fofalia had submitted its proposal. Meanwhile, the All Gujarat Vali Mandal, a parents body which has parents from across the state, has decided to stage a dharna protest programme at the office of Vadodara district education officer premises on Wednesday evening to raise their demands before the zonal fee regulation committee which does not have any parent representative.

Gaurang Joshi

Biker hits dumper, killed in Morbi

Rajkot: At least 100 mobile phones were stolen from a shop in Surendranagar town late night on Monday by unidentified persons. The burglars targeted the shop of Irfan Meman at Handloom Chowk. They broke into the shop after breaking the wall on the back side and stole at least 100 mobile phones. A complaint was registered by Meman at the town police station.

Kin refuse to accept body after autopsy Surat: Family members of a 22-year-old man, who died under mysterious circumstances, refused to accept his body after post-mortem formalities were completed at New Civil Hospital (NCH), demanding a murder complaint be registered first and investigation ordered into his death. The murder complaint was registered on Tuesday evening by police after the family members made a representation to city police commissioner Satish Sharma. Family members alleged that he was murdered but the police initially disagreed with them.

Surat: Some unidentified persons chopped off three sandalwood trees from historical Gandhi Baug early on Tuesday. This is the second theft of sandalwood trees from the same garden in last six years. The three sandalwood trees, around 20-years-old, were chopped off from bottom. The burglars first cut the heavy iron rod of the tree guard to cut the trunk. Later, branches too were cut to separate the trunk. Ironically, during the entire theft that involved cutting of three iron tree guards did not come to knowledge of the security guards or any other person. It is suspected that the it could have taken at least an hour for the thieves to complete their task. Out of the three security marshals posted at the Gandhi Baug, two were absent during the night, sources informed. Under what circumstances the marshals were absent is being investigated by the security department of Surat Municipal Corporation

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Palanpur: An 18-year-old boy allegedly committed suicide as he had failed to clear the Gujarat Common Entrance Test (GujCET) in Palanpur on Tuesday. Maulik Chauhan was nowhere to be seen for a long time after the results were announced. Later, his family members saw him hanging from the ceiling on the first floor of their house in Modinagar locality. Naresh Darji, his relative,

Plastic paves the way in Surat!

There was a major traffic jam on the Ring Road flyover at Sahara Darwaja in Surat on Tuesday evening after a car caught fire while driving from Sahara Darwaja side. Fire men said that it caught fire due to short-circuit

Bells to start chiming at Raopura tower from today Prashant.Rupera @timesgroup.com

Vadodara: After several decades, the iconic Raopura tower in the heart of old city will start chiming again with the first trial scheduled on Wednesday. Also known as Maharani Chimnabai tower, the construction of the tower designed in Indo-Saracenic style architecture, was completed in 1896 as a tribute to the first wife of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. It has a clock fitted on the When watches were a luxury, top and has a design of a ‘chhat- bells rang every 15 minutes ri’ above it. In an era, when watches were a luxury, it used to in 1887 were procured from chime at a gap of every 15 minu- John Taylor & Co, world’s largest bell foundry based in Lotes. The clock on Mandvi is the ughborough, England. “Of the five, the largest is a oldest in the city and made by an Indian clock maker Naray- clock bell which used to chime an Mistry in 1850. But since de- at the stroke of time. Four cades, the clock had gone silent other bells used to strike in a as the traditional mechanised sequence creating a melody that used to get completed in system could not be fixed. Starting 11 am on Wednes- 40 seconds at the gap of every day, the tower will once again 15 minutes. At every hour, a start chiming albeit at a gap of melody of 20 seconds followed every half an hour. At the gap by strokes as per the number of every hour, after chiming, it of hours used to ring,” said will strike as per the number of Shreelal Jha, consultant from hours. Supernova Technologies PriThe bell chamber in the to- vate Limited, Vallabh Vidyawer has five heavy bells which nagar which has been hired

Gaurang Joshi

Thieves cut the iron rod of tree guard ,flee with the wood

(SMC). “A police complaint has been registered. The trees are very old and someone carried out the theft with planning. We have installed iron tree guards to protect the trees after the past incident of sandalwood tree theft,” said S J Gautam, superintendent, garden department, SMC.

TOI

by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC). Jha, former director (technical) of the self-financed R&D and consultancy centre for impaired of Sardar Patel University said while the chamber already had two hammers, three new hammers have been placed to strike the bells apart from other missing accessories. “Since the mechanised system was not working, we have mounted a DC motor to strike the bell while the tower clock panel now has an inbuilt programme which is flexible enough to allow users to change time, rhythm and duration of rhythm as required,” he said.

Surat: Plastic waste, which forms a significant portion of the total municipal solid waste and happens to be an environmental hazard, is being put to good use in the city. The road department of Surat Municipal Corporation has constructed 10.5km of road using plastic waste as additive in the city. The city generates nearly 1,650 metric tonnes of solid waste daily of which 13 per cent is plastic waste. National Green Tribunal (NGT) had earlier asked the city administration to dispose of waste in a scientific manner. The SMC set up a 20MT plastic waste recycling plant to make plastic beans and began making plastic roads in the city. Some types of plastic waste can replace coal as fuel in boilers too. Plastic road has 10 per cent of plastic waste material compared to asphalt which is normally used in road construction.

Builder consumes poison, dies Surat: A young builder of Valsad, living on Lambe Hanuman (LH) road of Varachha, committed suicide by consuming tablets used for preserving grains on Monday night. According to the details available, Alpesh Kalsariya, resident of Hiranagar of LH road, ate these tablets after returning home from pregnant wife’s medical check up at SMIMR hospital. The reason for his steps are not known as yet.

told police that exam failure was the reason behind Maulik ending his life. Police sub-inspector K D Brahmbhatt of Palanpur east said though it looks like failure in GujCET drove him to the drastic step, they will ques-

tion his parents later. “They are in a state of extreme shock. So, we have not questioned them yet,” he said. Maulik had cleared class XII exam with 65%. His father Kamlesh works as a school teacher in Suigam.

Upset over break-up, man shoots paramour TIMES NEWS NETWORK

HimansshuBhatt @timesgroup.com

3 sandalwood trees chopped, stolen from Gandhi Baug TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Rajkot: A 23-year-old woman committed suicide by hanging herself, two months after her husband ended life, at Shastrinagar in Gandhigram in Rajkot on Tuesday. The deceased, Sonal Makwana, hanged herself from the hook of the ceiling of her house in the wee hours of Tuesday. Her mother found her hanging around 4.30am and informed other family members. Sonal had come to her parent’s house about 12 days ago from her inlaw’s house. Family members told police that Sonal was depressed after her husband, Hiren Makwana, had ended life in Falla Rampar village two months ago. TNN

18-year-old ends life after failing GujCET

SMC Builds Road Using Plastic Waste

Bus driver suffers heart attack, dies

100 mobile phones stolen from shop

Widow hangs self to death

Gaurang Joshi

Rajkot: A 50-year-old man, who was riding a motorcycle died after crashing into a stationary dumper near Maliya-Miyana in Morbi district late night on Monday. Police said that the deceased, Bababhai Katiya, bumped into the dumper as he could not see the vehicle parked at the edge of the bridge in the dark. Police has registered a case against the dumper driver who is absconding.

Vadodara: Driver of Parul University students’ bus died due to heart attack while he was returning to the campus from the city on Tuesday. Dalpatsinh Rathod (50) was returning after dropping the students at their homes. When the bus reached near Khatamba on VadodaraWaghodia Road, Rathod suffered severe pain in his chest and lost control over the bus that veered off the road. The bus hit a hoarding of a near-by construction site.

5

GUJARAT

THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2017

Plastic road has 10 per cent of plastic waste material compared to asphalt which is normally used in road construction

It costs Rs8.24 per square meter more to SMC to construct a plastic road but it is still beneficial as it provides stability, increases resistance to acid and fuel spillages, reduces chances of bitumen bleeding, increases bonding capacity and the overall strength to support heavy traffic is also more. SMC maintains a road network measuring 2,300km of length in the city, of which it has to remake 200km of roads every year. “It is early stages of using plastic waste for road construction. However, we plan to make substantial use of plastic waste in making roads in future,” said an officer of SMC’s road department.

Vadodara: Panic spread in Satyanarayan Colony on the New VIP Road on Tuesday morning when the residents heard sound of a gunshot. A 45-year-old man shot his paramour Reshma Rajgar at her house at around 9.30 am and then fled from the spot. Thirty-seven-year old, Reshma suffered bullet injury in her leg and was rushed to SSG Hospital for treatment. The police have begun hunt for the accused identified as Jitendra Singh. According to police, Reshma, who had separated from her husband, and Jitendra were in relationship for last few years. “Jitendra works as a contractor in Ankleshwar and Reshma too worked there. They both came in contact and got into relationship. The duo used to stay together,” the police said. But their relations started getting strained some time ago as he used to allegedly harass her. Reshma decided to leave their house and return to Vadodara. Police said that she had been staying at her mother’s home for nearly a month. Jitendra kept insisting that she return to Ankleshwar but she re-

The woman was injured in her leg

fused. Jitendra then told her that he wanted to meet her and return the household items. On Tuesday morning, he came to meet Reshma at her home but there was a heated argument between the two. When he pulled out the pistol, Reshma tried to flee but was shot in her leg. Her 17-year-old daughter and mother were present in the house when the incident occurred. The police have registered a case of attempt to murder against the accused. Jitendra originally hails from Uttar Pradesh but used to stay in Ankleshwar. The cops are trying to ascertain how he managed to get a country-made pistol and bullet.

https://t.me/velarch

Haji Ali trust slapped with `1.9cr bill for cell towers Moves High Court Against Collector Order Swati.Deshpande @timesgroup.com

Mumbai: The city collector has asked the Haji Ali Dargah Trust to deposit Rs 1.9 crore as its share of half the income generated by allowing mobile towers on its premises. Abdul Sattar of the trust recently rushed to Bombay high court to challenge the demand. The HC vacation bench is scheduled to hear the plea for urgent intervention on Wednesday. The trust, established a century ago for religious and charitable purposes, obtained the land it occupies in south Mumbai from the collector on lease. In 1920-21 the trust became a lessee of over 4,000 sq yards of land, which included two pieces. In 1940 and later in 1951, 111 sq yards and 60 sq yards were additionally leased. These leases placed no restriction on the

The trust’s contention is that the 2005 notification applies to housing societies and other private societies but not to any religious or charitable trust that is not a profit-making entity

user from letting out any part of the leased land, said the trust. In 2009, the trust gave a small portion of the land on leave and licence to four cellular companies. The income generated is used by the trust for the benefit of the community at large, it said. The city collector, however, viewing it differently, addressed a letter to the trust on May 4 asking it to deposit Rs 1.88 crore within 20 days. The demand is based on an April 2005 notification that sought 50% share of income from such lease on leasehold land from societies. The collector passed an order on

7

TIMES NATION | MUMBAI

THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2017

March 21, 2017, directing the trust to share 50% of the income from the cell phone towers. The trust’s contention is that the 2005 notification applies to housing societies and other private societies but not to any religious or charitable trust that is not a profit-making entity. In 2008, 2011 and 2012 too, there were leave and licence agreements made by the trust with cellular companies, the trust has stated. In September 2016, the collector first issued a notice to the trust alleging breach of lease agreements and sought a 50% share of income.

No more charge for driving into airport, halting at T2 entrance TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: Next time you drive to Terminal 2 at Mumbai airport, do not fret over being charged a Rs 130 toll for entering the premises and halting there as the fee has now been withdrawn. On Tuesday, Shiv Sena workers went ahead and demolished the toll collection booth that was still standing outside the terminal entrance. The workers also threatened to storm the airport if the toll collection booth was set up again. According to a Mumbai airport official, a charge of Rs 130 was levied so that people come to drop passengers in vehicles don’t loiter near the entrance and exit quickly so as to avoid traffic congestion. But flyers have been up in arms against the charge, saying that the toll collectors were ruthless and would slap a receipt in no time, not giving the them enough time to get out of the vehicle and enter the terminal building. An airport official said they had stopped collecting toll since three-four days.

Man convicted of murder 22 yrs after acquittal, sentenced to life Swati.Deshpande @timesgroup.com

Mumbai: Acquitted of murdering a relative 22 years ago, a man now finds himself held guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. Bombay high court set aside an acquittal pronounced in 1995 by a Kolhapur trial judge and gave the accused three months to surrender. Krishnath Patil was held to be ‘not guilty’ and set free more than two decades ago by an additional sessions judge in Kolhapur in a murder case. He was accused of murdering his brother-in-law in September 1994. The case against him was that he attacked his sister’s husband following her suicide, the previous evening. They were at the hospital to collect her body. He believed his brother-in-law was the reason for her death and

allegedly attacked him, assaulting him with a knife. He was arrested from the scene of the crime. The knife was found at the spot and its cover was later recovered by police at the instance of the accused. Not believing eyewitness accounts and since one witness turned hostile, the trial court held the evidence was lacking to establish it as a murder and acquitted him. The Maharashtra government decided to appeal and moved the HC in 1995. The appeal was finally taken up for hearing and disposal in a batch of appeals this summer vacation. It was heard by a bench of Justices Abhay Oka and Sadhana Jadhav. Additional public prosecutor Arfan Sait argued the acquittal needs to be overturned as Patil was arrested soon by his own relati-

ve as he was trying to flee. Patil had a definite motive and was armed with a knife. His conduct in trying to run away also was incriminating evidence, said Sait, demonstrating the conclusive chain of circumstances. Patil’s counsel Shekhar Ingavle argued the acquittal was justified as the witnesses were unreliable. Patil in his defence during the trial in Kolhapur said his brother-in-law had inflicted injuries on himself. But the HC while hearing the matter observed there were several blows and injuries and adopted a plausible view. The HC, on May 15, in a two-page order, said “for reasons to be recorded separately” the judgement of January 25, 1995 by Kolhapur sessions is quashed and set aside. For the full report, log on to www.timesofindia.com

MUMBAI MASALA

Serial loan scamster held Mumbai: A Kandivli-based businessman was arrested on Tuesday for forging documents and duping a cooperative bank of Rs 1.11 crore. He has been remanded in police custody. The police arrested Mehta after Christopher Narendra, a vigilance officer of Mahanagar Co-operative Bank’s Charkop branch alleged that Mehta, who lives in Charkop’s Shruti Co-operative Housing Society, forged documents of his flats and applied for loan of Rs 1.11 crore.

6 grilled for using ‘bomb’ for Bombay on chat: The anti-terrorism squad (ATS) is questioning the six Kerala youths about their whatsapp chatting and references of a word ‘Bomb’ in their chatting.

https://t.me/velarch TIMES NATION

8

Law panel for cut in undertrials’ jail time ‘Not 1/2, Make It 1/3rd Of Max Sentence For Crime’ Dhananjay.Mahapatra @timesgroup.com

Happy Anniversary to "Madhusudan(Bhaiya) Arati" - Jasmin Prayagraj Puja Debashish

Sukhoi feared crashed after going missing TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Yet another frontline Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jet is believed to have crashed after it went missing around 60 kilometres north-west of the Tezpur airbase in Assam, towards the Line of Actual Control with China, on Tuesday morning. No trace of the twin-engine fighter or the two pilots was found till late in the night despite a major search and rescue mission being launched by the IAF. The ill-fated “air dominance” Sukhoi, being flown by a squadron leader and a flight lieutenant, had taken off in a two-aircraft formation sortie from the Tezpur airbase at 10.30 am. “Radar and radio contact was lost with the missing Sukhoi at 11.10am,” said an officer. The IAF has already lost at least seven of 240 Sukhoi-30MKIs, which are the latest and the most potent fighters in its combat fleet. In all, India has contracted 272 twin-seat Sukhois from Russia for over $12 billion, with the bulk of them being “produced under licence” by Hindustan Aeronautics. Overall, the armed forces have lost over 60 aircraft in crashes, which have killed over 80 people, since 2011. The Sukhoi fleet is now likely to be grounded for systematic precautionary checks before they can take to the skies again, like it happened after crashes in April 2009 and December 2011. Last year, then defence minister Manohar Parrikar had admitted to problems with the Sukhois, citing 69 incidents of technical glitches mainly revolving around the engines in the previous three years, as was reported by TOI.

New Delhi: The Law Commission is ready to submit to the Centre a set of recommendations intended to bring in revolutionary changes in bail jurisprudence which, if implemented, would help the release of the poor among the over 2.38 lakh undertrial prisoners languishing in jails for years. The commission’s report on amendments to bail provisions has been finalised and the radical recommendations, if accepted by the government and implemented, would make true the Supreme Court’s 40-year-old ruling in the State of Rajasthan Vs Balchand case, in which Justice Krishna Iyer had said in September 1977: “The basic rule may perhaps be tersely put as bail, not jail.” The commission, headed by Justice B S Chauhan, examined Section 436A of the criminal procedure code, which provides that an undertrial, accused of offences that attract a maximum imprisonment of seven years, should be released on serving half the sentence. The panel recommends that the period of incarceration be reduced to one-third of the maximum punishment. This means, if an undertrial is accused

of their inability to furnish bail bonds with sureties. “Poverty cannot be a ground to keep in custody an accused who is unable to furnish bail bond,” the SC had said. The commission suggests that “in case an accused is granted bail and is unable to furnish sureties within 30 days and moves an application for varying the bail conditions, the trial court must hear this expeditiously and pass appropriate orders”. Trial courts’ insistence for local sureties is a big impediment to bail for those caught for petty offences. The commission recommends that “outside sureties may be accepted after verification of their antecedents...” However, the commission is of the view that those who are accused of economic offences may not be shown the same leniency. The panel was surprised to find no challenge to the constitutional validity of Section 437A of CRPC, which mandates an acquitted person to furnish a bail bond with sureties to undertake before the trial court that he would appear before higher courts in case his acquittal was challenged. It has concluded that the section needs amendment to provide that “after acquittal... (a person’s) personal bond may serve the purpose”.

RELIEF ON THE HORIZON?

of an offence attracting a maximum six-year sentence, he would be released on bail after two years in jail. For other offences, which attract a maximum jail sentence of over seven years but excluding those punishable with death, an undertrial should be released on serving half the maximum sentence, commission sources said. The commission also suggests that the HCs must frame rules making it mandatory for trial courts to hear bail applications of accused within a week of their filing. Urgency in deciding bail applications was stressed recently by the SC’s social justice bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and U U Lalit, which found that many poor undertrials continue to be lodged in jail despite getting bail because

I am a ‘son of India’: Dalai Lama Bengaluru: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Tuesday described himself as a “son of India” and the country a ‘guru’ for his people who are its ‘chelas’ (disciples). The 81-year-old Nobel laureate, whose visit to Arunachal Pradesh last month had angered China, also called himself the messenger of ancient Indian values and knowledge. The Dalai Lama was speaking at the state-level seminar on ‘Social Justice and Dr B R Ambedkar’ where he said deprivation from social justice in the name of caste was not from religion, but was due to feudal systems that existed in our societies. “India is a guru and we are chelas (disciples), we are reliable chelas, because we have preserved your ancient knowledge. I also consider myself as the son of India as every part of my brain cells are filled with ancient Indian knowledge and my bo-

dy is because of Indian rice and dal,” he said. The religious leader has been in India since 1959. He crossed the border into India after an epic 15-day journey on foot from the Tibetan capital Lhasa over the Himalayan mountains. The Dalai Lama said even in the name of religion and religious systems, there were some feudal practices and “it should not be there.” Stating that through education caste-related injustice could be wiped out, the Dalai Lama underlined the need for eliminating the feeling of inferiority in certain sections of the people. “...so that there is a sense of equality, so that they can build self-confidence. Through self-confidence, hard work and education one can achieve equality,” he said. On ancient Indian values and knowledge, the Dalai Lama said it must be revived in the country, as “it is not ancient, but most relevant.” PTI

Jindal summoned as accused in coal block case TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Taking cognisance of a CBI chargesheet, a special court on Tuesday summoned industrialist Naveen Jindal and others as “accused” in a case related to the allocation of the Urtan North coal block in Madhya Pradesh. “From the overall facts and circumstances of the case, as stand disclosed from the final report filed by CBI including the documents and statement of witnesses, I am of the considered opinion that prima facie offences under Section 120B criminal conspiracy/420 (cheating) IPC and Section 420 (cheating) IPC is made out against

accused,” said special CBI judge Bharat Parashar. Others who were chargesheeted are Jindal Steel and Power Ltd’s (JSPL) advisor Anand Goel, executive director of raw materials, D N Abrol, the then executive vice-chairman and CEO Vikrant Gujaral, and former director (finance) Sushil Maroo. All have been chargesheeted for criminal conspiracy and cheating. The CBI had submitted a list of 64 prosecution witnesses in the case. The chargesheet says that during the investigation it was revealed that JSPL and its office-bearers misrepresented facts before the screening committee, that pertained to land acquired for its Patratu pro-

The chargesheet says that during the investigation it was revealed that JSPL and its office-bearers misrepresented facts before the screening committee ject in Jharkhand and orders for equipment placed for its Angul project in Odisha (as on December 8, 2007), to obtain the coal block. Alleging that the accused had cheated the ministry of coal and got a “wrongful gain and pecuniary advantage”, the CBI said that Jindal and other officials of JSPL had appeared before the scree-

ning committee on December 8, 2007 and made the presentation and submitted the latest status of the end-use plant in the feedback form under the signature of Abrol. CBI alleged that in the feedback form, JSPL has misrepresented facts and made false claims that it had already acquired 964 acres of land for its Patratu project and already placed order for equipment for its Angul project for Rs 4,340 crore. “Against the claim of placing of supply orders for equipment of Rs 4,340 crore for its Angul Orissa Plant, the company, M/s JSPL, had placed orders to various Indian and foreign suppliers worth only Rs 3,958.89 crore till December 8, 2007,” the chargesheet alleged.

INDIA DIGEST

‘Cow vigilantes not above law’ ow vigilantes are not above the law and if they came across any illegal activity they should report the same to police, said Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Tuesday in Aurangabad. “No one, including the gau rakshak (cow vigilante), is above the law. So if anybody feels that some illegal act is going on, he should report the matter to police instead of taking the law into his own hands,” he said.

C

Key accused in RSS worker’s killing held: A key accused in the killing of an RSS worker was taken into custody in Kannur on Tuesday, police said. K Anoop, a member of the left-leaning DYFI, was nabbed near the bus stand here this morning.

HC seeks info from court on Irani education case TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Tuesday sought records from the trial court relating to a case against Union minister Smriti Irani’s educational qualifications. Justice S P Garg sought the records by September 13 on a plea filed by one Ahmer Khan, who had approached the HC after his petition seeking complete educational records of the Union minister was dismissed by the trial court recently. In his complaint, Khan had alleged that Irani had deliberately given discrepant information about her educational qualifications in affidavits filed before the Election Commission in 2004, 2011 and 2014 and not given any clarification, despite concerns raised on the issue. He had urged the court to take cognizance of the alleged offences under Section 125A of the Representation of People’s Act and “summon the accused person, Smriti Z Irani, for trial”. Dismissing Khan’s plea, metropolitan magistrate Harvinder Singh had observed that the complaint was intended to “harass” the minister as the primary record with the universities could easily have been lost due to passage of time.

THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2017

PhD scholar jailed for 16 yrs before acquittal to be paid ‘lost salary’ New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government has been directed by a Barabanki court to compensate former Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) scholar Gulzar Ahmed Wani, who was acquitted last week of terror charges after 16 years in jail over his alleged involvement in the 2000 Sabarmati Express blast. The court directed the Yogi Aditya Nath government to calculate the compensation in keeping with the average income Wani would have earned on the basis of his educational qualifications if he had not been in jail. Wani, the court said, was a victim of police officials’ “negligence” in the investigation.Wani was pursuing his PhD in Arabic from AMU when he was arrested from Delhi on July 30, 2001. The court said the officials had not obtained sanction to prosecute Wani, and a chargesheet was filed in dereliction of duty and violation of Wani’s physical independence, a process which harmed him physically and mentally. A total of 11 cases were lodged against Wani for bomb blasts, of which

Gulzar Wani has been acquitted of orchestrating the 2000 Sabarmati Express blast

he has now been exonerated in all — either acquitted or discharged — the latest acquittal, in the Sabarmati case, delivered just last week by the Barabanki court. On Friday, the court acquitted Wani and a fellow suspect, Mohd Abdul Mobeen, of the charge of orchestrating the 2000 Sabarmati Express blast that claimed nine lives. It said police had not produced any evidence to prove that the two had conspired with others to cause the blast and wage a war against the

country. Additional sessions judge M A Khan, in his judgment, said the government could, it it wanted, recover the compensation amount from the police officials who conducted the investigation. It said that if the government failed to pay the compensation, Wani would be at liberty to approach the Allahabad high cour. The SC had slammed Delhi and UP police last month over Wani’s continued incarceration despite having been acquitted, at the time, in 10 of 11 cases. The apex court had said that Wani should be released on bail on November 1 on terms and conditions set by the trial court, irrespective of the completion of the trial. Reprimanding police for lapses in their investigation, the Barabanki court said neither did they try, nor gather any evidence in support of the charge of criminal conspiracy against the accused, and directed the government to take appropriate action against the erring officials. PTI

Char Dham bus falls into 6 Delhiites injured after U’khand crash of two families, including a 4-year-old boy, from gorge; 21 feared dead SixEastmembers Delhi were left critically injured after a Scorpio they were [email protected]

Dehradun: At least 21 Char Dham pilgrims are feared dead while seven others have been injured after a bus carrying devotees from Indore in Madhya Pradesh plunged into a gorge near Dharasu in Uttarkashi district on Tuesday. The bus returning from Gangotri was on its way to Chinyalisaur when it fell into a 250m deep gorge. Ram Singh Meena, additional director general of police (ADG) law and order, told TOI, “The bus was carrying 28 pilgrims, all of whom were from Indore. Seven of the pilgrims have been rescued and have sustained injuries. But the remaining 21are feared dead. Darkness in the night is hampering rescue operations.” A senior government official said that keeping in mind the high level of water in Bhagirathi river, release of water from Joshiyada barrage has been stopped. Teams of state disaster response force (SDRF) Jal Police, ITBP, police along with the district magistrate and SP Uttarkashi have reached the spot. The injured have been admitted to Chinyalisaur hospital. The ADG said that 57 pilgrims from Indore had arrived in the state for Char Dham yatra in two buses. “One of the buses met with an accident. According to preliminary reports, a tyre of the vehicle separated from the rim due to which the driver lost control over the bus and it fell into the gorge,” said Meena. Chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has announced compensation of Rs 1lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured.

travelling in plunged into a 200-feet-deep gorge near Spring Road in Library area of Mussoorie on Tuesday. Three of the victims were taken to a private hospital in Dehradun and three others were admitted to St Mary’s Hospital in Mussoorie. The accident occurred after the driver is believed to have lost control of the vehicle. As news of the accident spread, 75 ITBP commandos rushed to the scene to launch rescue operations. Nitin Gupta, a local, who saw the car tumble down the hill, said, “I informed police and they were quick to come to the rescue along with ITBP personnel and locals. If it wasn’t for the quick rescue operation, survival of these tourists would have been difficult.” TNN

https://t.me/velarch TIMES NATION

THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2017

1 killed in UP Dalit-Thakur clashes [email protected]

Meerut: In more violence between Dalits and Thakurs in Uttar Pradesh, one man returning from a Mayawati meeting in Shabbirpur village of Saharanpur district was shot dead and his friend grievously wounded on Tuesday, after they were waylaid by a mob. Both victims are Dalits. Soon after the attack, dozens of houses belonging to Thakurs were allegedly burnt by members of the recently formed Dalit outfit, Bhim Army. Dozens were admitted in the district hospital, around which Dalits have formed a cordon. Reporters, too, were injured and their equipment broken or snatched away. Saharanpur has been wracked by Dalit-Thakur clashes in recent weeks, leading to the rapid growth of Bhim Army. On April 20, stone pelting left dozens injured when a group tried to barge into an Ambedkar Jayanti procession in Doodhli village. During the April 20 clash, the residence of then Saharanpur SSP, Love Kumar, was attacked. He later blamed a BJP leader for instigating the crowd. Just a fortnight later, on May 2, Shabbirpur village witnessed another clash between Thakurs and Dalits.

Germany supports India’s OBOR stand

Backing Comes Ahead Of PM’s Visit To Berlin Indrani.Bagchi @timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Germany shares India’s concerns on China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative strategic programme as a “top down exercise”, German ambassador Martin Ney said here on Tuesday, days before the fourth round of inter-governmental consultations to be presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. “OBOR is very different from the ancient Silk Road. It’s not about free trade, its a trade-enhancing measure by China,” Ney told reporters here. Defence, trade and strategic concerns will dominate the discussions between Modi and Merkel. Comparing the inter-governmental consultation process to a joint cabinet meeting, Ney said Modi would be accompanied by a number of his ministers. Germany, he said, is rea-

dy to sign a government-to- he said. government defence pact Recognising some of the with India, adding there wo- steps India has taken tould be many “substantial” wards ease of doing busiagreements during the visit. ness, he said Germany had Identifying terrorism as already invested Rs 53,000 a major challenge, crore into India Ney said Germany since 2010. stands by India in its Ney said: fight against the me“The core of the nace and noted that inter-governhis country had been mental consulsharing intelligence tations is that with the Indian goGermany and vernment. SupporIndia agree on ting India’s memfundamental bership to the four exprinciples of deport control regimes, Martin Ney mocracy and inhe specifically endorstitutional prinsed India’s accession to the ciples ... both are members of NSG. G-20, want UNSC reform, Ney pointed out the ab- support a rules-based order sence of EU-India Free Tra- and freedom of navigation de Agreement (FTA). With in accordance with UNIndia having killed off all ex- CLOS (United Nations Conisting investment treaties vention on the Law of the with European countries, Sea)... .” new investments into India Modi will arrive in Bercould become risky without lin on May 29 and head into a any rules that protect invest- one-on-one dinner with Merments. kel. On May 30, he will get a “India decided to termi- formal welcome with militanate a whole series of bilate- ry honours following which ral investment treaties the two delegations will hewi- th individual countries. ad into a plenary discussion Effect of that on bilateral re- and sign agreements curlations is not good. New rently being negotiated. He investments into India have will fly out to Spain on the no rules and no protection,” night of May 30.

Law to prevent female genital mutilation sought Can’t Justify It As Religious Custom: Report [email protected]

Mumbai: A report released on Tuesday on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in India recommends sensitisation measures to prevent the “heinous practice” and calls for a separate legislation. It is a procedure which “cannot be justified as a religious practice,’’ said the report prepared by Lawyers Collective, a human rights NGO and Speak Out on FGM, a group of survivors. The 57-page report analyses various gender-based legislations existing in India and highlights the need for a separate law to deal with the issue. “There is no specific mention of FGM in our laws and the practice largely goes unnoticed,’’ the report notes. The report, conceptualised by senior lawyer and women’s activist Indira Jaising, spells out a road map of measures needed to be taken. There should be a helpline to conduct awareness programmes in schools, it says. “Ward committees, panchayat groups should co-

The 57-page report analyses various gender-based legislations existing in India and highlights the need for a separate law to deal with the issue ordinate with each other effectively to sensitize the Bohra community and conduct safety audits. Specific duty may be cast on religious or community leaders to carry out such awareness generation programmes,” the report reads. The NGO said it welcomes a recent statement by minister for women and child development Maneka Gandhi – “the custom of female genital mutilation, practised by the Dawoodi Bohra community, is a criminal offence and if the community does not stop it voluntarily, the government will bring in a law to ban the practice.” Speak Out convener Masooma Ranalvi said th report, titled ‘Female Genital Mutilation – A Guide to Eliminating the Practice of FGM in India’, said “a law serve as a strong deterrent in the otherwise law-abiding Bohra community”.

Sukma attack: CRPF suspends commander for ‘leadership failure’ [email protected]

New Delhi: Almost a month after the deadly ambush by Maoists on CRPF’s road opening party in Sukma in Chhattisgarh claimed the lives of 25 personnel, the central paramilitary force suspended the company commander of the unit for “leadership failure” and “not being able to think smartly to ensure safety of his men”. The force is doing a complete overhaul of its standing operating procedures in the Naxal-infested belt, which includes monitoring of every operation by senior officers including DIG/IG, rotation of personnel/officers regularly and more focused operations with the help of state police, dog squads, mine-protected vehicles and drones. Officials said the assistant commandant of Delta Company of 74th battalion of CRPF – J N Vishwanath — has been placed under suspension after an inquiry conducted by the additional director general felt he was the person who was leading the 99-member contingent which came under heavy attack from around 400 Maoists on April 24.

129 ‘deadwood’ govt officers sacked in 1 year New Delhi: A total 129 Group A and Group B officers of the central government have been sacked over the past one year for non-performance, Union minister of state for personnel Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday. The “compulsory retirement” of 30 Group A and 99 Group B officers — ordered under Rule 56(J) of CCS Pension Rules, 1972 — is an outcome of an ongoing review of service record of 24,415 Group A officers and 42,521 Group B officers over past few months. The review had found the said officers to be ‘deadwood’, based on adverse inputs obtained from their respective departments. TNN

9

Foreign policy takes unconventional route India Keeps China, Pakistan Off Balance [email protected]

New Delhi: By doing foreign policy differently — as the Modi government completes its third year in office — India has challenged conventional thinking even though the effects of these actions in the longer term still need to be assessed. Working backwards chronologically, India’s recent decision to skip the much-hyped ‘Belt & Road Forum’ (BRF) in Beijing, was contrary to India’s traditional reluctance to publicly confront China’s hegemonic ambitions. India clearly articulated objections to OBOR and CPEC (China-Pakistan economic corridor) on the basis of sovereignty. India laid out why it believed OBOR to be exploitative, colonial in its lack of transparency and the way it created unsustainable debt in “partner” countries and caused environmental damage. While some nations were gearing up to praise China’s massive utilisation of excess capacities, India’s reaction proved to be a dampener for the Chinese. For some in India, signing up for OBOR would have been less painful, and apparently pragmatic. The Modi government concluded its unusual reaction was in keeping with India’s traditional opposition to China-Pakistan activities in POK. And that going by Sri Lanka’s experience and perhaps even Pakistan’s, the openly mercantilist policies of China need to be publicly opposed. As it turned out, the EU too backed away from a trade statement using similar arguments. Political ties with China have gone steadily downhill in the past couple of years though interestingly FDI from China has risen significantly in the Modi years. China has emerged as one of the fastest-growing sources of

FDI into India — it was 17th westwards, in his new ‘Link largest in 2016, up from the West’ policy, to mirror the 28th in 2014 and 35th in 2011. ‘Act East’. As Modi prepares Matters have not been to travel to Israel, his visit cohelped by China stymying mes as virtually the last stop India’s bid for NSG memafter unexpectedly intense bership and protecting Paengagement with UAE, Qakistan-based Jaish terrotar, Saudi Arabia and Iran, rist Masood Azhar from in addition to Oman. Strong sanctions. Early this year, economic imperatives, inforeign secretary S Jaisfrastructure investment and hankar promised China India’s desire to play a greawould get a lot more atten- WARM TIES: PM Narendra Modi with ter security role over shared tion from India, in order to his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh concerns over threats like put the relationship back Hasina in New Delhi in this April photo. the terror group IS drive Inon the rails. The two count- Bangladesh has been the template for dia’s outreach. This is also ries continue working to- a new kind of engagement intended to wean these nagether on some areas, but tions away from Pakistan as the promise held out when Chinese India peddles a “better narrative”. President Xi Jinping and Modi The India-Pakistan relati- onship swung gently on a Gujarati swing in is in deep freeze, with little daylight 2014, has dissipated. visible. Again, Modi used surprise as India has paid much greater ata tactical weapon. After a series of tention to its near neighbourhood, terror attacks against Indian defensans Pakistan. Bangladesh has been ce installations from across the borthe template for a new kind of engagement. der, India retaliated with surgical strikes on While neighbours traditionally get a large terror launch-pads in POK. The upfront anchunk of Indian assistance, it was largely nouncement of the strikes highlighted a unstructured. India has now decided to focus “proactive” stance on terror. To Pakistan, Inon around 20 visible projects for Bangladesh, dia signalled that the calculus of te- rror unwhich will utilise the $4.5 billion in LOC assi- der a nuclear umbrella would not work. India stance. India will follow a similar approach in made its response unpredictable and raised Sri Lanka, which recently saw a second Modi Pakistan’s costs. visit. India has also worked hard to create a SaOn August 15, from the Red Fort ramparts, arc minus Pakistan, in order to beat its clasp Modi uttered the forbidden “B”-word, speaon India’s neighborhood outreach. In 2016, the king of the “oppression” of the people of BaloBRICS summit saw the revival of BIMSTEC, chistan. Pakistan choked in anger and later arwhile a sub-regional cooperation initiative, rested Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former Navy BBIN, is slowly coming together, creating man, as an alleged spy. After a military court transport and power networks in the east. Ear- announced a death sentence on Jadhav, India lier this month, India launched the south Asia adopted a creative and bold approach — upensatellite that signalled cooperation without a ding decades of conventional wisdom yet agadirect quid pro quo. in by going to the International Court of JustiOne of Modi’s signature initiative has been ce and pulling off a vital win.

NDA @3

https://t.me/velarch TIMES NATION

10

THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2017

‘Godman’ Chandra Swami: The man with the third eye By Pritish Nandy et me make a confession at the beginning: I liked Chandra Swami. Now this must seem very odd to those of you who may have read my story on him in The Illustrated Weekly in the eighties. But that was exactly why I chased him down and wrote on him, bunging in a funny interview with him where he spent most of his time abusing me (without knowing I was I) and telling me how much he hated me as a person and a journalist for chasing him around the world and trying to pin him down for an interview. The truth is: I never did chase him around the world but yes, I

PTI

L

1948-2017 found out a lot about his secret deals and the vast amounts of money he had parked overseas and gleefully published the details with my interview and the story on him. And since I believed that journalists are meant to be read, not seen I was fortunate that he did not recognize me even as he was running me down throughout the interview. Curiously, at the end, he even I suggested that I should try and meet Nandy and dissuade him from writing about him. He insinuated, as indeed all such men do, that price was not a consideration. Yes, I had my bit of fun. I suddenly stopped in the midst of the interview and asked him why he was so upset with Pritish Nandy and what if I was Nandy (since we were never introduced before he gave me the interview; I had asked my friend and fellow journalist Rajat Sharma to come along and pretended to be his dumb assistant) and I still remember Chandra Swa-

mi’s confident answer. Don’t be stupid, he said to me, I have my third eye (and he pointed between his thick bushy eyebrows), I can tell you everything you want to know about yourself from this life and your past lives, as well as from your future lives… You are not Nandy. I know that because I can see through you… and he gave me that piercing gaze which had impressed countless people: from the notorious arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, who for a while was his best friend and they had jointly funded the secret Iran Contra deal, to the mysterious Egyptian millionaire Mohammed Al- Fayed, who ran into huge controversy when he bought over Harrods, another one of his unpopular buddies and the father of Princess Diana’s boyfriend who died along with her in the car crash in Paris. The gaze was followed by a snide remark made with absolute and compelling honesty; I remember his exact words to me. You may look like an ass, young man, but one day you will perhaps make good, don’t worry. With such wonderful words of consolation he put his arm around my shoulder condescendingly and posed for the camera. Well, I guess he was right. I did make good with that interview. Chandra Swami spent

most of his life conning people. He was clever in an earthy kind of way and he knew his own limitations. So he had Mamaji as his manager, who was actually even cleverer than him. It was the classic model: A godman who spoke little and often went into long spells of silence in dimly lit rooms with incense wafting in the air, and his manager who then took over and explained everything to those who were sitting around. Chandra Swami would pretend to go into a trance during that time and then wake up to demonstrate to those sitting around him-usually a bunch of famous and gullible people dying for some spiritual mumbo jumbo-- a few clever tricks that any small time magician can replicate. I remember on occasion when I deconstructed these tricks to some of his more illustrious victims at a lunch thrown by Tiny Rowland in an yacht somewhere in the midst of the Mediterranean: there many of them including Arap Moi and Kenneth Kaunda and a whole bunch of other African leaders who had succumbed to his so called mystical powers and paid a very heavy price for it. Moi lost some 21 million dollars worth of raw diamonds (or so he said to me with sadness in his voice) while Kenneth Kaunda hired an Indian guru (one Dr S Ranganathan from Chennai who I met during the course of my story) to ward off Chandra Swami’s threats to him. Yes, Chandra Swami got that interview wrong simply because he was too confident of his own powers. He forgot the one most important tenet of self preservation: To know who you are talking to when you give an interview. But then, it was the

pre-Google era. It was not that easy to figure out who was sitting opposite you. In any case, he was busy looking at Rajat Sharma because he was the journalist. I was merely his idiot assistant. But yes, he could have asked me my name. He was too sure of himself to do even that. And it would have questioned his own spiritual powers. His third eye, alas, failed him on that occasion and when the issue of the magazine appeared with him on the cover, he must have kicked himself. It cost him his credibility. For a while. But such men never give up. He went underground for a longish spell as the FERA guys kept following up on the leads. Then he sought court permission and went overseas on grounds of medical treatment. But not for a moment did he stop doing what he was best at: playing the power game. His moment of glory was when Narasimha Rao (who he often described as his brightest chela) became prime minister and he could use his proximity with him to get almost anything he wanted. But this time he was quieter, less flamboyant and stopped seeking too much attention. I met him once, years later. He smiled at me and said one thing I still remember: You are a fool, you do not know how much good you did me. Your story made me more famous than all the others who were in the business. But you shouldn’t have given away my magic tricks. That’s not fair. Never have I given away anyone’s magic tricks after that. If you don’t believe me, ask Pamela Bordes. Yes, she of the Profumo fame. She knew him well too.

Don’t join nutrition group SUN: Activists TIMES NEWS NETWORK

ivil society groups have cautioned the central government about fresh efforts to persuade India to join the international movement called Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN), whose stated mission is to help countries fight malnutrition. Several paediatricians, nutritionists and public health activists wrote to the Niti Aayog stating that SUN, “while claiming to support governments in taking the lead in policy setting, in reality, facilitated the entry of businesses into the policy space”. Even as SUN’s efforts to persuade India to join it have not been very successful, Maharashtra joined the movement in 2014 and Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand in 2016. SUN coordinator Gera Verburg of Netherlands is expected to meet Niti Aayog officials this week. Many countries that did not join the SUN network have raised the issue of conflict of interest in the SUN Business Network (SBN), which includes multinational food corporations like Pepsi, Cargill, Nutriset, Britannia, Unilever, Edesia, General Mills, Glaxo SKB, Mars, Indofood, Nutrifood, DSM and Valid Nutrition. In a document detailing the reasons for not joining networks like SUN, officials from a Brazilian government agency said that international initiatives on fighting malnutrition ought to forbid “the participation of the business sector in the decisionmaking process and the management and implementation of both international and national strategies and policies”. They pointed out that “such participation creates conflicts of interests and favours market-guided measures that ultimately result in the increase of food insecurity,” and added that it goes against the concept of food sovereignty. Of the 58 countries in the SUN network, over 40 are from Africa. Though SUN -- started in 2010 -- claims to be a global movement, it has only aided recipient countries. The letter to Niti Aayog stated: “We cannot see how the government of India – or any other government claiming to uphold democratic principles – can allow themselves to be accountable to transnational corporations or philanthropic foundations rather than their citizens. ”

C

https://t.me/velarch 14

TIMES NATION

ED arrests CA linked to Lalu’s daughter Misa Case Involves Money Laundering, Benami Properties TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday arrested a chartered accountant under the tough anti-hawala law as part of a widening probe into alleged money laundering and acquisition of benami properties by RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s daughter, Misa Bharti, and others. ED officials said Rajesh Agrawal, a CA who helped those with black money legitimise their cash, through shell companies, has been arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as part of a probe into what is suspected to be Rs 8,000 money laundering racket run by two Delhi-based businessmen —Virender and Surender Jain— who were arrested earlier by the agency. Sources said documents in their possession show that Agrawal gave 1.2 crore in cash to the Delhi brothers. The money eventually reached Misa’s company – M/s Mishail Packers and Printers Private Limited— through a web of transactions in which her company’s shares were acquired by the Jains at exorbitant prices. Agarwal’s arrest could lead to a formal probe also against others involved in the money laundering scandal under the PMLA- a stringent law which provides for confiscation of properties allegedly acquired through the proceeds of crime. It comes under growing indications that the government could be on the verge of seizing assets of politicians, businesspersons and bureaucrats, under the Benami Transactions Act. Several rounds of meetings have already taken place to chalk out the crackdown, said

Misa Bharti

sources. A farm house owned by the two brothers in Bhati village has already been confiscated by the ED under PMLA . “Agrawal has played a pivotal role in the transactions between Jain brothers and Ms Jagat Projects Limited. He is also associated with some transactions involving Ms Mishail Packers and Printers Private Limited,” the agency said in a statement. Sources said they had recovered clues about Agrawal’s link to Mishail from a computer, which was recovered during a raid by the IT department. They alleged that the chartered accountant gave Rs 1.2 crore in cash to 3 shell companies the two Delhi brothers floated and which were used to buy shares of Mishail, a company which Lalu’s daughter was involved with as a director until 2008. The probe against Misa and other members of Lalu clan for allegedly having undisclosed assets set off a bitter fight between her father and BJP, with the RJD strongman claiming that he was being targeted out of political vendetta. BJP has rejected the charge. Sushil Modi, its leader in Bihar, who has released many documents about the properties acquired by Lalu

Agarwal’s arrest could lead to a formal probe also against others involved in the money laundering scandal under the PMLA- a stringent law which provides for confiscation of properties allegedly acquired through the proceeds of crime and his family, has rejected the charge and has taunted Bihar CM Nitish Kumar for not taking action against his coalition partner. Sources said while they have no formal case against Mishail yet but after Agrawal’s arrest, it is under the scanner. The shell companies paid Rs 100 for a Mishail share worth Rs 10. Within a year, Mishail allegedly bought back the shares at Rs 10 per each through accommodation entries provided by Agarwal and Jain brothers, claimed ED sources. They further said Misa had not declared about her status as a former director of Mishail while disclosing her assets in her nomination form for RS polls. The agencies are probing whether the money made through accommodation entries arranged by Agrawal and Jains was used to purchase a farm house by Lalu’s daughter. Sources said Mishail along with a dozen other companies are under scanner of the Income Tax department in connection with a probe into dubious land deals worth Rs 1,000 crore. For the full report, log on to www.timesofindia.com

‘Award to Gogoi is murder of justice’

Gogoi: It was a ‘do-or-die situation’ Continued from P1 n April 14, when the video of his “action” went viral, Gogoi was heavily criticised. However, he said it was a “do-or-die situation” and his spur-of-the-moment decision was “not wrong for me, my organisation or my country”. “If I hadn’t done that, at least 12 or more lives could have been lost… Had I fired, there would have been casualties,” Gogoi said in a TV interview. On Monday, Gogoi was awarded the Army Chief Commendation Card for sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations. The Major further described an extremely fraught situation outside the polling booth. “Over 1,200 people had surrounded the polling station and were trying to burn it down with petrol bombs. People were pelting stones from all sides, even women and children, and even people from roof tops,” Gogoi recalled. “I have not fired a bullet, not beaten anyone, there was no collateral damage. From my point of view I have not violated anything,” Major Gogoi said.

O

THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2017

Man Used As Shield Says Army Should’ve Fought Stone-Pelters

Farooq Ahmad Dar said he’s still traumatised by the incident and has been unable to do any work. He said he was hospitalized for a few days and later asked to seek counselling for post-traumatic stress disorder

[email protected]

Srinagar: Used as a human shield against stone-pelting mobs in Budgam district in Kashmir, Farooq Ahmad Dar, speaking to TOI on Tuesday, described the Army’s award to the officer who tied him to a jeep’s fender as “murder of justice”. Dar said he heard about the award to Major Nitin Leetul Gogoi from his neighbours in the village and said, “This is not justice. They just murdered justice by supporting abuse and oppression. “My question to the Army and the Major who has been awarded is: Would you have tied your own son to the bonnet of the Army jeep to rescue the soldiers or to prevent stone-pelting?

“They are the Army and they should have fought their battle against the stone-pelters on their own instead of making me a shield. How can the Army abuse common people for their war?” A shawl embroidery artisan, Dar said he’s still traumatised by the incident and has been unable to do any work. He said he was hospitalized for a few days and later asked to seek counselling for post-traumatic stress disorder. “Between my mother and I, we used to earn Rs 3,000 a month. Now I am in debt because I haven’t been able to earn as much,” he said. Police filed an FIR against the Army on April 15, charg-

ing them with kidnapping and endangering Dar’s life. The Army too initiated an internal investigation, the report of which is still awaited. Reacting to the award, PDP spokesman Nizamuddin Bhatt said, “If he has been awarded for that act, then it is not proper.” He added that the Major should not have been awarded for his unwarranted act of parading a youth through several villages tied over a jeep to secure the lives of civilians. On Monday, Chief of Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat, awarded Major Gogoi COAS Commendation Card for “his sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations”.

Fully support Army’s LoC action: Jaitley Continued from P1 short video clip of one such assault with weapons being used in “a direct firing mode” at the Nowshera sector on May 9, which ostensibly shows some forward observation posts of the Pakistan army being blown up across the LOC, was also released by the Army’s additional director-general of public information, Major General A K Narula. Defence minister Arun Jaitley said the government fully supported the Army’s “actions across the LOC” for ensuring peace in J&K. “Indian Army is taking preemptive and measured actions to counter terrorism in the Valley and disengage Pakistan posts across the LOC which support infiltration,” he added. The Pakistan military spokesperson, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, however, dubbed the “Indian claims” as “false”. He, too, late in the night released video footage of what he said were Indian posts being destroyed in Nowshera sector on May 13 in a “befitting response”.

A

Pak seeks early hearing in Jadhav case at ICJ Omer Farooq Khan

TNN

Islamabad: Pakistan has asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to expedite hearing into the case of Indian national Kulbushan Jadhav, sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court over charges of espionage and subversive activities, reported a leading English daily on Tuesday. Ever since the ICJ ordered Pakistan on May 18 to halt Jadhav’s execution, Islamabad has been saying that it will ask the ICJ for early hea-

India seeks consular access from Pakistan to arrested Indian national he government said on Tuesday that it had sought consular access from Pakistan to Sheikh Nabi Ahmed, the Indian national who was arrested for not possessing valid travel and visa documents. cThe Indian high commission had earlier sought more details about Nabi's identity from ministry of foreign affairs but, according to sources, not enough information was shared with the Indian authorities. According to Pakistani media reports, Nabi hails from Jogeshwari East in Mumbai and was taken into custody on May 19 after he failed to produce any travel or visa documents. The reports said the Indian national was walking on a road when he was stopped at a check post. Police demanded to check his visa documents after he told them that he was an Indian. Ahmed could not produce any document and was taken into police custody, the reports said. TNN

T

ring and speedy proceedings of the case. Legal experts here believe

that the ICJ’s proceedings in such cases take long. “It takes two-three years in such ca-

ses,” said Reema Omer, a Pakistani expert on international law. According to local media, the foreign office wrote a letter to ICJ registrar requesting, early hearing of the case, preferably over the next few weeks. Citing unnamed sources, The Express Tribune said that the request was made in view of the upcoming elections for ICJ judges, scheduled to be held in November. A senior official was quoted as saying that the ICJ might resume hearing in October. “The government, however, wants the hearing to be held in the next six weeks,”

the source told the paper. Attorney-General Ashtar Ausaf Ali is expected to attend the ICJ proceedings, while the government has not taken any decision about replacing Khawar Quraishi, a lawyer who had defended Pakistan in Jadhav’s case in ICJ. “His (Quraishi’s) performance was satisfactory. He raised all relevant legal points during the hearing,” a senior law ministry official said. Sources also said that the government was considering a few names for nominating them as ad hoc ICJ judges, adding that the name of a senior lawyer was also under consideration.

‘Penalising bureaucrats will create a policy paralysis’ Continued from P1 enalising bureaucrats will create a policy paralysis if there’s jail term awaiting them for a decision gone wrong,” Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said. The CBI, probing the Coalgate scam, had not charged H C Gupta, but when the court intervened and directed it to investigate his case, the agency filed a chargesheet, leading to his conviction for two years. However, he was immediately released on a personal bond to challenge his conviction in a higher court. After he was charged, he told the court that he had no means to engage a lawyer and contest the case. So how would he challenge his conviction? “I had mentioned in my earlier letter to the court and the public that I do not have adequate money to engage costly lawyers and contest the case in court. My position remains the same, though support is pouring in from different quarters of the cadre and well-wishers,” Gupta told TOI.

P

India on mind, Opec praises GST, note ban TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Amid an onslaught from the fracking industry and the Trump administration's latest proposal to further flood an oversupplied market by draining the US strategic reserves, Opec appears to be acknowledging India's importance as a vital market. An indication of India's growing clout came when Opec secretary-general Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo,

Police identify bomber as Abedi Continued from P1 he explosion coincided with the conclusion of a pop concert, which was attended by many young families and groups of children,” she added. “This attack stands out for its appalling, sickening cowardice — deliberately targeting innocent, defenseless children and young people who should have been enjoying one of the most memorable nights of their lives.” The attack came in the final stretch of campaigning before a general election in Britain on June 8, and the country’s political parties agreed to suspend campaigning on Tuesday. Opposition politicians — Jeremy Corbyn of the Labour Party, Tim Farron of the Liberal Democrats and Nicola Sturgeon of the Scottish National Party — joined May in expressing

T

their grief and condolences. Chief Constable Ian Hopkins of the Greater Manchester Police identified the bomber as Abedi after several news publications reported his name, but declined to provide any further details, noting that a coroner had not yet officially identified him. “The priority remains to establish whether he was acting alone or as part of a network,” Constable Hopkins said. Abedi’s ID was found at the scene of the bombing, according to a law enforcement official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was still underway. According to neighbors, Abedi lived with his family in a house in Elsmore Road, in the Fallowfield district. The police raided the house on Tuesday afternoon, after setting off a controlled explosion to gain entry. NYT NEWS SERVICE

commenting on his meeting with Indian oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Vienna on Monday, praised the economic reforms undertaken by PM Narendra Modi. According to a statement issued by Opec late on Monday, Barkindo particularly mentioned demonetisation and the move to bring in GST (goods and services tax) regime as examples of the "bold reforms" and appreciated "the way India had managed to overcome the global eco-

nomic slowdown". The statement quoted Barkindo as describing India as "a global economic powerhouse" on the back of "high growth rates, dynamic services and strong manufacturing sectors". He "saw tremendous value and substance" in the 'Energy Dialogue', particularly when looking at the ever-expanding cooperation between India and Opec member-countries. For the full report, log on to www.timesofindia.com

‘Students should’ve been put on notice’ Continued from P1 nder the moderation policy, grace marks are given to the students in exams for difficult questions or errors in the question paper. The court noted that students who took the exams "ought to have been put to notice" as they have the "right to know" what the CBSE was doing. "These children, who have worked so hard and have burnt the midnight oil, are entitled to some stability and the only stability they know is the system. Do not instill insecurity in them. Don't do it (withdrawal of the policy) this year," the bench added. Even as the court clarified that it wasn’t going into the merits of the decision to do away with the moderation policy, it questioned the “timing of the decision” to scrap it without warning, adding it "should have been done prospectively and uniformly for everyone across the country.” The HC’s remarks came

U

while hearing a petition by an affected parent and a lawyer challenging the board's decision to withdraw the moderation policy. Senior advocate Balbir Singh, appearing for the petitioners, Rakesh Kumar and advocate Ashish Verma, argued that some states have already declared the exam results for Class 10 and 12 without giving the students benefit of the moderation policy, while Delhi results are expected at any time.

https://t.me/velarch

TIMES GLOBAL

Heartbreaking news from Manchester. As a father & a human what has happened truly saddens me... DAVID BECKHAM

My thoughts, prayers and tears for all those affected... I’m sending all my love TAYLOR SWIFT

THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2017

Devastating news this morning. Thoughts and prayers are with all those affected.

My heart hurts for my sister, Ariana & every family affected... Innocent lives lost

Broken hearted for the families tonight. Broken hearted for Ari. Broken hearted for the state of this world.

We need to do better. We need to love one another

My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected in Manchester

WAYNE ROONEY

NICKI MINAJ

KATY PERRY

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

SELENA GOMEZ

Manchester United After Night Of Horror MANCHESTER MASSACRE There Was A Loud Bang, Silence, Then Screaming, Recall Survivors WORST ATTACK IN UK SINCE 2005

Indian doc, her daughter left venue 7 mins before blast

Reuters

Ceylan Yeginsu, Rory Smith & Stephen Castle

Manchester: Pop star Ariana Grande had finished the encore of her “Dangerous Woman” concert, and the shrieks of teens and others had subsided. The show was over, the arena lights had gone up and fans were clutching pink balloons that had dropped from the rafters — souvenirs from a special night. Then came the explosion. Some witnesses recalled smelling sulfur. A gush of air whooshed through the arena. Some people wondered if some of the balloons had burst. Glasgow’s Lisa Conway, 49, had bought concert tickets a month earlier and booked a room at the nearby Park Inn Hotel. It was a surprise for her 14-year-old daughter. The father and son skipped the show for a night on the town. The concert was a bonding trip. “It was meant to be a dream, not a nightmare,” Conway said. “There were children, blood, shoes, splattered all over the floor.” She added: “How can I explain any of this to a 14-year-old? She hasn’t said a word since she woke up.” The average age of the audience would have been 14. It was the message of the blast that was so chilling: slaughter of teens, anxiety of parents waiting to take them home, frantic search for loved ones, all in a city seemingly off the radar of extremists. Already questions are emerging about whether the arena was properly secured. Organisers said security was heightened. But some concertgoers described a much looser environment. “Our bags were searched, but only quickly,” said Caitlin McCoy, 23. “They seemed to be more concerned about finding alcohol than anything else.” The power of the blast shook the arena, and many people started screaming and running. Outside the hall, parents had been waiting to pick up their children. Diane Burnett

22-year-old of Libyan descent named bomber 22-year-old British man whose parents had emigrated from Libya was identified on Tuesday as the Manchester bomber. The man, Salman Abedi, lived in a house just 5.6km from the arena where he detonated a homemade bomb. His ID was found at the scene of the bombing. According to neighbours, he lived with his family — was one of four children — in a house in Elsmore Road, in the Fallowfield district. The police raided the house on Tuesday afternoon, after setting off a controlled explosion to gain entry. A neighbour, Lina Ahmed, said she knew little about the family. “They didn’t really speak to anyone,” she said. “They were nice people if you walked past.” She said the family occasionally displayed a Libyan flag outside the home. Another neighbour said that the mother, who taught the Quran, had been abroad for around two months. Another neighbour said the house had been home to “rotating” groups of men over recent years — during which time he said there had been at least two shed fires in the back garden.

Monday’s attack came amid warnings that Islamic State will focus on “soft targets” with large crowds rather than protected areas with high security. IS’s propaganda magazine recently listed concert halls among “ideal target locations”... People evacuated from the Arndale shopping centre in Manchester after a suspicious package was found

was looking for her 17-year-old son. “It was a loud bang, and then silence, and then loads of girls screaming,” she said. “You didn’t know what it was, whether it was a train crashing.” One older woman in a wheelchair was trapped in the tumult, as another spectator shouted at the crowds to let her through. Molly Cronin, 18, described a mini-stampede of panicked fans. “Kids were getting crushed and we were trying to help them,” she said, noting that the timing of the blast seemed “deliberate.” Desperate parents and friends posted heart-wrenching messages and pictures on social media. “Please...please retweet. Looking for my daughter and her friend,” Michael MacIntyre wrote on Tweeter, alongside an image of his daughter Laura and friend Eilidh. Author J.K. Rowling was one of many celebrities to help spread the word by retweeting messages. Picture montages of smiling faces were being circulated of teens still unaccounted for. They carried the hashtag, “#PrayForManchester”. Outside, cops were quickly on hand, trying to direct people to safety. “They were telling us to run, keep running, away from Victoria Station,” said Tedd. NYT NEWS SERVICE

8 & 18: The young faces of tragedy

AP

A

merican agencies had warned last September that terrorists are aiming at concerts, sporting and outdoor events: “They often pursue simple, achievable attacks with emphasis on economic impact and mass casualties”, an intelligence report said

A

S

November 13, 2015 CONCERT AT BATACLAN THEATRE Three heavily armed gunmen stormed an Eagles of Death Metal concert at the Bataclan theatre in Paris and began firing, killing 89 people and injuring scores

April 16, 2013 | BOSTON MARATHON Two bombs went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring more than 100 others

Ex-CIA chief confirms contacts between Russia & Trump team Reuters

Chidanand.Rajghatta @timesgroup.com

Trumps arrive in Rome on Tuesday

than through intelligence channels, and not parsing intelligence through the originating agency to ensure that the language won’t reveal sources. Brennan called the leaks “very damaging” and “appalling”. The first open hearing of the House Intelligence Com-

mittee did not go well for the Trump administration, with confirmation of reports that Moscow had extensive contacts with Trump campaign. Brennan said he didn’t know if there was active collusion, but he was “aware of information that revealed contacts between Russians and people involved in the Trump campaign” and that he was concerned “because of known Russian efforts to suborn such individuals”. However, there were new reports that Trump had asked urged two intel honchos — director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats and Admiral Michael Rogers, director of the National Security Agency — to publicly deny the existence of any proof of collusion between Russia and his campaign.

S had said that it attacked the 2015 Bataclan concert by the California-based Eagles of Death Metal, as it was “where... pagans gathered for a concert of prostitution and vice”

I

EXIT

Salman Abedi (22) — named by police as the suspected suicide bomber — detonated the bomb as youngsters came out of auditorium post concert to their waiting parents

EXIT BRITAIN

Manchester Arena 21,000 capacity Blast at 10.35pm in foyer area connecting venue and station

Manchester Leeds IRELAND

EXIT Victoria Station

Liverpool LONDON

EXIT

ISLAMIC STATE ATTACKS IN EUROPE SINCE 2015 ost terrorist strikes in western Europe of late have had some link to the IS

efore the Machester massacre, two of the deadliest: Paris (Nov 2015) attack and the Brussels (Mar 2016) strike were directed by IS, carried out by terrorists who trained with the group in Iraq and Syria

M

B

VILLEJUIF, FRANCE April 19 1 woman killed

PARIS Jan 8 17 killed Charlie Hebdo attacks

April

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM Mar 22 32 killed

PARIS Nov 13: A series of coordinated bombing and shooting attacks throughout Paris killed 130 people

July

2016

October

April

July

MAGNANVILLE, FRANCE Jun 13 2 killed

Saffie Rose Roussos, 8, had gone to the concert with her mother; (R) Georgina Bethany Callander was the first victim to be identified

TERROR’S SOFT TARGETS

Washington: Former CIA director John Brennan told a Congressional inquiry panel on Tuesday that he had personally phoned his Russian counterpart Alexander Bortnikov after he became aware of contacts between Kremlin officials and the Trump campaign and warned that ties between the two countries would be damaged if Moscow did not stop interfering in US elections. Brennan also criticised Trump’s meeting with Russian officials in the White House Oval office, saying the president might have violated two protocols in the process: Sharing intelligence directly with foreign interlocutors rather

K’s domestic intel agency MI5 has maintained threat level at “severe,” the second-highest level, for months: an attack considered “highly likely”. As IS is under more military pressure in Iraq-Syria, it would try to strike abroad

U

COPENHAGEN DENMARK Feb 15: 2 killed, 5 injured

ved by everyone and her warmth and kindness will be remembered fondly. Saffie was quiet and unassuming with a creative flair.” The school has now called in specialists to help other students cope with the shock. Saffie’s mum, Lisa, is also in hospital, with non life-threatening injuries. As shocking as Saffie’s tale was that of Georgina Bethany Callander, the first victim to be identified. The 18year-old, a Grande “superfan”, was pictured with the star in 2015. She had even tweeted to Grande on Sunday, writing: “SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU TOMORROW.” Georgina’s friends led tributes to the teen, who they called “a ray of sunshine”. DAILY MIRROR

Young concertgoers being escorted from the arena after the attack

UK HAS BEEN ON HIGH ALERT

2015

affie Rose Roussos had no inkling on how events would turn out when she went to the Ariana Grande concert with her older sister and mother. After all she was just an 8-year-old kid. After the blast, she was not seen and her parents released her picture in a desperate plea for help. It has now emerged she has tragically died. Chris Upton, headteacher at Saffie’s Tarleton Community Primary School, said, “News of Saffie’s death has come as a tremendous shock to all of us. The thought that anyone could go to a concert and not come home is heartbreaking. Saffie was simply a beautiful little girl in every aspect of the word. She was lo-

[email protected]

ST ETIENNE, FRANCE Jul 26: 1 killed

ive of the attacks involved gunmen, four used a vehicle as a weapon

F

NICE, FRANCE Jul 14 86 killed

anchester attack one of three that used explosives

M

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND May 22: An explosion at a concert arena

22 killed, 59+ injured 2017

October

BERLIN, GERMANY Dec 19: 12 killed

April

LONDON Mar 22: 5 killed STOCKHOLM Apr 7: 5 killed PARIS Apr 20: 1 killed

Mumbai: It was a ticking parking tab and Ariana’s Grande’s pre-published concert song menu that perhaps helped Sonal Pathak, a 41-yearold Indian woman, and her 13year-old daughter Shreya and friend Anya make a narrow and almost providential escape from the ghastly terror attack on Monday night. Still reeling from a chilling reminder of the explosions that shattered the night barely seven minutes after they left, Pathak, who hails from Jaipur, recounted her experience to TOI. “I usually park some place about a seven-minute walk from the arena to avoid the rush once a show ends. Since Ariana’s set list was available, we timed our exit before the third last song,” recounted Pathak, who lives in Altrincham, about eight miles from the arena. “We started walking out at 10.20pm and passed through the foyer at 10.23pm, the exact spot where the blasts took place at 10.30. I know this because I constantly had my eye on the watch as my 3-hour parking ticket was running out and I was trying to avoid paying the extra £3. Since the parking was two storeys underground, I couldn’t hear any explosion nor see any commotion,” Pathak, a physician, said. On the way out, she saw ambulances rushing in but couldn’t tell why until they got home by 11pm and got the tragic news.

‘Broken from the bottom of my heart’

A

merican pop star and singer Ariana Grande said she was “broken” and at a loss for words over the attack at her concert in the British city of Manchester. “Broken. From the bottom of my

Manchester attack was similar to Paris’s Bataclan strike…

1 BATACLAN

Both involved American performers in large venues in Europe

2

Both concerts were attended mostly by young people

3

At Bataclan, 3 gunmen wearing suicide belts stormed main entrance, firing from assault rifles into the crowd. The Manchester explosion took place at the box office area just outside the venue Sources: NYT, The Independent, BBC

Locals offer rooms, taxis free rides

UK parties suspend campaign for polls

I

A

n a heart-warming gesture, Manchester residents opened up their homes and offered help to concert-goers affected by the attack at the Manchester Arena. They used hashtag #RoomForManchester to offer help to distraught people. With many concert-goers struggling to get home, #RoomForManchester started trending on Twitter with many volunteering their homes to stay in, BBC reported. Taxi drivers were also seen offering people free taxi rides, and people were already arranging to give blood at donor banks to help those injured. People were also using the hashtag #MissinginManchester to search for people who have not been in contact since the blast. PTI

March 3, 2009

April 6, 2008

SRI LANKA VS PAK CRICKET MATCH Twelve masked gunmen attacked the Lankan team bus on way to the match in Lahore. 8 killed; 6 players, two team staff and an umpire injured

LTTE suicide bomber killed 15 athletes and injured at least 90 others at the start of Sri Lanka new year marathon in Weliveriya

NEW YEAR MARATHON, SRI LANKA

2006, 3 attacks IRAQI PLAYERS & SPORTS OFFICIALS May 17: 15 athletes & staff of taekwondo team kidnapped. Never seen again May 26: Nat’l tennis coach, 2 players shot July 15: 31 athletes & officials kidnapped by gunmen at press meet

AROUND THE WORLD

White supremacist held for killing neo- Nazis in US

A

young man who was once a white supremacist but recently converted to Islam allegedly killed two of his roommates over their neoNazi views and disrespect for his new faith, according to police. Devon Arthurs, 18, was arrested Friday after confessing to killing two of his roommates, setting off an investigation that led to the arrest of his third roommate after police discovered bombmaking materials at the shared Florida apartment.

Pak prof, his niece held for links to IS: A professor at a Lahore university, where 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind and JuD chief Hafiz

Saeed taught Islamic studies, has been arrested along with his niece for alleged links with the Islamic State terror group. The University of Engineering and Technology professor and his niece were arrested with two others during a raid in Karachi on Monday. An official said the duo had been planning to attack a public gathering, using drones meant for television coverage.

Bangladesh to impose carbon tax from June: Bangladesh is set to impose its own carbon tax on fuel next month — despite the country producing tiny per capita emissions. The tax is expected to be put in place on June 1. Nojibur Rahman, head of the revenue board, said the tax would not only raise the price of using fossil fuels but the added income could help push more use of renewable energy.

ll political parties in the UK suspended campaigning for the June 8 general election following the suicide bomb attack in Manchester. British PM Theresa May chaired an emergency response meeting of the Cabinet. “We are working to establish the full details of what is being treated as an appalling terrorist attack,” May said. Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “Today the whole country will grieve for those who have lost their lives.” The Scottish National Party postponed the launch of its manifesto, and its leader Nicola Sturgeon said the news was “heartbreaking”. “UK will never be cowed by terrorism. Those who want to divide us will never succeed,” said London mayor Sadiq Khan. PTI

heart, I am so so sorry. i don't have words,” she tweeted after the attack. Grande’s 2016 album “Dangerous Woman” was widely described as having “reinvented” R&B. The 23-year-old debuted as a singer in 2013 and among her latest releases is the title track of the 2017 film “Beauty and the Beast”, a duet she sang with John Legend. The four-time Grammy nominee has also worked as a child actor. AGENCIES

May 8, 2002

1996

Suicide bombing outside Karachi’s Sheraton Hotel, where the New Zealand cricket team was staying, killing 14: 11 French Navy experts, Pakistan team’s physio and 2 other Pakistani nationals

An ex-US Army explosives expert bombed a music concert at the venue as he believed the Olympics ‘promoted values of global socialism’. Two killed and over 100 injured

PAK VS NEW ZEALAND

ATLANTA OLYMPICS

May 1, 2002

UEFA CHAMPS LEAGUE Car bomb detonated close to Real Madrid’s stadium hours before CL semi-final against Barcelona in Madrid

1972

MUNICH OLYMPICS Palestinian terror group Black September took Israeli national team hostage and killed 11 athletes and coaches apart from a German cop after a 16-hour siege

Roger Moore, who played James Bond 007 times, dies Anita Gates

oger Moore, the UK actor who brought tongue-incheek humour to the James Bond persona in seven films, died on Tuesday following a long battle with cancer in Switzerland. He was 89. Moore was the oldest Bond ever hired for films in the canon, taking on the role when he was 46. Moore also had the longest run in the role, beginning in 1973 with “Live and Let Die” and winding up in 1985 with “A View to a Kill.” When he became 007, Moore was already well known to US audiences. After playing the title role in a British medieval-adventure series, “Ivanhoe,” and starring in “The Alaskans,” a short-lived (1959-

R

A SPY WHO EVERYONE LOVED: Roger Moore on set of James Bond movie ‘A View to a Kill’

60) ABC gold-rush series, he replaced the departing James Garner in the fourth season (1960-61) of the hit “Maverick.” After surrendering the Bond role to Timothy Dalton, Moore appeared in a half-dozen unexceptional movies, made a few TV appearances and did voice work in anima-

ted films. He became an Unicef good-will ambassador in 1991. He was made a Commander of the British Empire in 1999 and was knighted in 2003. Moore had definite opinions about playing heroic adventurers long before he became Bond. “I would say your average hero has a super ego, an invincible attitude and an overall death wish,” he told NYT in 1970. “He’s slightly around the twist, isn’t he?” “In theatrical terms, I’ve never had a part that demands much of me,” he said. “The only way I’ve had to extend myself has been to carry on charming.” Moore married four times and was divorced thrice. In 2002, he married the Swedishborn Kristina Tholstrup, who survives him. NYT NEWS SERVICE

https://t.me/velarch

AN EPIPHANY

16 A thought for today

If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle

OF IDEAS

A Charter For Liberal Indians

CARL SAGAN

Liberals, it’s time to boldly and constantly assert your vision of patriotism [email protected]

Coal Block Verdict To stem corruption, white collar crime has to be taken seriously

A

special CBI court set up to try cases of alleged corruption in coal blocks delivered a noteworthy verdict this week. It sentenced former coal secretary HC Gupta and two of his junior colleagues to two years in prison for allocating a coal block to a private company in an illegal manner. The managing director of the beneficiary was sentenced to three years but all the accused were granted bail to file appeals in a higher court. The verdict may be the first of its kind. It also foregrounds the tricky issue of accountability in government decision making. The case is not about a commercial decision taken in public sector based on forecasts which went wrong. It is an instance where guidelines were not followed. Given the economic context in which coal block allocations took place, it would be a travesty of justice if no accountability were fixed for the inappropriate way in which a screening committee of bureaucrats functioned. To put matters in perspective, it is best to go back to what the Supreme Court verdict which cancelled coal block allocations in August 2014 said. The apex court observed that the screening committee functioned in an inconsistent and opaque manner. In the backdrop of a commodity price boom the screening committee minutes did not bother to explain the rationale for selecting or rejecting applicants for coal blocks. “On many occasions guidelines have been observed in breach,” observed the Supreme Court, “common good and public interest have, thus, suffered heavily.” It is inexplicable that the most experienced layer of bureaucracy chose to function in this manner. Particularly when it was tasked with recommending allocation of a scarce natural resource. The matter is unlikely to end here as the accused have recourse to an appeal. But the case does raise two issues. One, the existing anti-corruption legislation is in urgent need of reform. This is one legislation where improvements cannot wait. Two, there is a strong case to roll back the role of public servants in economic activities. Not only are they ill equipped for it, even acts of omission are damaging. It is no one’s case that there should be a witch hunt. But fear of paralysis in decision making should not deter the law from taking its course.

Bad Guest Test When Atithi Devo Bhava gets sorely stretched by modern politicians

A

tithi Devo Bhava. Guest is equivalent to God. That’s an ancient saying and a modern anthem. But what if the guest is boorish. Surely, no guest should be dissing his host either. There’s an uproar in Karnataka that this is exactly what BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa did when he breakfasted at Dalit homes last week. Specifically the accusation is that he shunned the pulao cooked by his hosts; the idlis he tucked into in front of the cameras were smuggled in from a neighbourhood eatery. Over in UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath proved a brusque guest recently, when visiting the family of BSF head constable Prem Sagar who was martyred in Kashmir. Their home was fitted with an air conditioner, sofa and carpet by the administration before the CM graced it, but those trappings of affluence were whisked away within minutes of Yogiji’s departure. It’s true that an important part of the job of being a politician is chowing down with the plebeians. Because nothing says ‘I understand you’ like ‘I eat with you’. Voters are supposed to fall for this gimmick up and down the world. So on the American election trail the candidates, besides kissing babies, guzzle beer and devour cheeseburgers till their heart hurts. In Japan they do giant oysters and sushi and slurp Ramen noodles. In Pakistan it can be anything from aloo gosht to korma. But Indian netas probably enjoy the richest smorgasbord. Besides taking tokenist politics and sham symbolism to a new high. Perhaps, instead of marching into aam admi’s home like invading armies looking for that impeccable photo op, they could act a little more appreciative. So that the host is not left gasping, Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? Ancient culture may have met its match in modern politics. Perhaps we are in dire need of a new TV soap, Kyunki Netaji Bhi Kabhi Aam Admi Tha.

Dear Indian liberals, The photograph of a blood-soaked father of three urgently negotiating for his life minutes before he was beaten to death in a Jharkhand town, has horrified you. It reveals the impunity a mob enjoys when violence goes unpunished. Is the rule of law becoming only weak liberal wishful thinking in times of cow hooligans and enraged mobs enforcing street retribution? The entire liberal project, you’re being told, is apparently dead. This is supposed to be the era of macho patriotism in which those arguing for a dialogue with Kashmiri stakeholders or talks with Pakistan or those who question religious nationalism, are shouted down as ‘anti-nationals’ and ‘jihadists’. Driven into silence by an anti-minority nationalistic fervour, the idealistic middle class, once the great bedrock of India’s freedom movement, is missing in action. The potential loss of idealism among the middle class can become a tragedy of monumental proportions. But it’s not too late to recover it if liberals speak up strongly. Indian liberals, you’re told that you belong to a small ‘westernised elitist club’ and have ‘colonised mindsets’. This is not true. Numerous liberal protestors who down the decades have fought for progressive values have hardly been disconnected and exclusive. Those who stood by Tamil author Perumal Murugan after he was slapped with criminal complaints, rationalists like Kalburgi, Pansare and Dabholkar, those who fought for women’s empowerment like Ela Bhatt, for farmer’s rights like Sharad Joshi, to deepen democracy at the grassroots like Sandeep Pandey and Aruna Roy, none of them were or are ‘westernised elitists’. The rooted salt-of-the-earth liberal is found in every Indian small town and city. Indian liberals, your quest is individual freedom. Your ancestors are Gandhi, Tagore, Ambedkar, Nehru (who was a social liberal if not an economic one) even a C Rajagopalachari, all of whom believed in the individual

over dominant state power. You would like to see citizens’ freedom enhanced responsibly and lawfully. You have always chafed at controls, both economic and social. You don’t like theocracies or morality cops. The nationalist Right-wing (like the ideological Left) believes in a gargantuan state machinery, in unbounded state power and in the state’s superior rights over the individual, as reflected in the attorney general’s recent comment that “You may want to be forgotten but the State doesn’t want to forget you.” The AG of a Hindu nationalist government sounded a bit like a Soviet commissar! Indian liberals instead have always stood against rampaging state power and for individual rights. Those who protested against the Emergency, against the Anti-Defamation Bill, against bans on books and movies and those who campaigned for citizens’ rights, they have all held firm against brute state authority. Liberals are called ‘anti-national’. But the greatest patriot of all, Mahatma Gandhi was India’s original liberal.

You represent the tradition of liberalism in the Upanishads, in the Bhakti movement and the one embodied by Gandhi and the Constitution Gandhi was always deeply apprehensive of state power and did not believe in enforcing his personal ideology through government agencies. A devout Hindu, he never wanted a law banning cow slaughter. For Gandhi individual rights of others were greater than his own beliefs. In fact, he had unlimited faith in the power and goodness of individuals, which is why he saw the freedom struggle as a lift off into personal as well as political regeneration. To Gandhi, the means were always much more important than the ends. He called off the 1921-22 non-cooperation campaign because it descended into violence and failed to be the just means to a cause. For the liberal, means are

always just as important as ends: because once the ends are achieved, the means shape the nature of the victory. Indian liberals, don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t represent a mighty tradition. You represent the tradition of liberalism in the Upanishads, in the Bhakti movement and the one embodied by Gandhi and the Constitution. It’s a heavy duty legacy that is neither confined to a small minority, nor elitist, nor westernised nor simply restricted to any political party. But with such a strong tradition why then are liberals losing out to the votaries of majoritarianism? That’s because the liberal language has become mired in, as newly elected French President Emmanuel Macron pointed out, negativity and fear. It’s become too focussed on denigrating and demonising opponents. Instead, the Indian liberal language should draw upon Gandhi and propose something positive, open and persuasive, a language that stimulates goodness and a sense of justice in every citizen and encourages every citizen to be her best not her worst self. It should encourage private enterprise, not crush or overprotect it and seek ways out of poverty for globalisation’s victims. Above all, it should recognise the freedom of every citizen to pursue his or her goals without harming others. Liberal Indians, why should you be fearful? Above your heads floats the spirit of the founders of constitutional India, a spirit that has always opposed those who insist on dress codes, behaviour codes, romance codes, bans on free speech and restrictions on religious, intellectual, dietary and sexual freedom. Confronted with a control-freak state, once again it’s up to you to speak up against those who seek control of what you eat, study, watch, wear, speak or worship, in the name of their version of ‘nationalism’. This is not the time to shy away or secede or retreat from the debate. This is the time to speak boldly and constantly on every current issue, and emphasise your version of patriotism, grounded in law and respect for all faiths. It’s time to proudly say yes I am a patriotic Indian and I am a liberal.

‘Triple talaq patently unjust, does not have religious sanction ... AIMPLB should read writing on the wall’ With the Supreme Court hearing arguments on the constitutional validity of triple talaq under Muslim personal law, acclaimed actor, social activist and former Rajya Sabha MP Shabana Azmi

spoke to Rohit E David on the issue, why she thinks the practice should be abolished and the role of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB): ■ As someone who has backed the abolition of triple talaq, what do you make of the arguments given in its defence as a religious practice by AIMPLB? Triple talaq in one go does not have religious sanction and is patently unjust and anti-women. More than 20 Muslim countries have banned it and it must go from India too. ■ But AIMPLB has also said that it will publicly boycott those who misuse triple talaq. Why does it then persist on defending the principle of it? AIMPLB’s call for boycotting abusers of triple talaq is not even a fig leaf because triple talaq in itself is an abuse. What pray is misuse of triple talaq? It is the same as misuse of molestation. These tactics are being used to stall the issue. In the wake of the court case, AIMPLB’s claim that qazis will take the brides’ views on triple talaq is a charade. For years the community has been asking for a model nikahnama because in Islam marriage is a contract

and can be negotiated by both parties based on gender justice. AIMPLB resisted it initially and then said let it be optional, knowing full well that that this cannot be feasible. This is because a poor father in a village can hardly dare to ask his prospective son-in-law for a model nikahnama if it’s optional. It must be made mandatory to give women the rights that Islam accords them. ■ Do you think calling for a ban on triple talaq is an idea whose time has come? The fight against triple talaq has been waged by very brave Muslim women such as Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan members. They have brought the issue centre stage. So when, in 2016, Shayara Bano petitioned the Supreme Court to challenge the constitutionality of the practices of triple talaq, nikah halala and polygamy, several women’s groups emerged from the community such as Awaaz-eNiswaan, Sahiyar, Muslim Mahila Manch, Pehchan, Muhim, Parvaaz Sangathan, and, more recently, Bebaak Collective. They joined forces and articulated a new radical politics, at once with progressive and feminist groups. It was a demonstration of the support system created by the women’s movement over the past three decades.

dilbert

■ There is a concern that the call to ban triple talaq is a precursor to the demand for implementing a uniform civil code. What is your view on this possibility? Personal laws of all religions discriminate against women on matters of marriage, inheritance, divorce. The framers of our Constitution believed that imposing a common civil code in the wake of Partition would create greater insecurity amongst the minorities. It was hoped that with the passage of time the need for reform would come from within the minorities which would be a better option. Unfortunately that has not happened and over the years it has become a stick to beat the minorities with, with a view to fuelling communal tension. I believe the time has come, sooner rather than later, when a blueprint of a common civil code (not uniform but common) that culls out the best laws from all religions based on gender justice is placed for a national debate. ■ Do you feel that AIMPLB should not be given the right to take decisions on behalf of Muslims? AIMPLB is an NGO that is a respected body amongst some sections of the community. But to retain its position it is imperative that it read the writing on the wall and accord women equality and justice, or else it will become redundant.

Sacredspace Freedom to Choose The real key is to live in an environment where the mind feels free to choose the right thing instead of being compelled by habit and inertia to choose the wrong thing.

Hands off, says Melania Plus, bare headed while deplaning in Saudi Arabia, she shows off a mind of her own Shinie Antony

Donald Trump may never hum ‘I want to hold your hand’ again. Not after the hand he put out was refused by the missus. Maybe Melanija, the Slovenian who dropped the ‘J’ from her name at some point and now the US president’s hand in full public view, prefers to go hands-free. Perhaps she is shy, hates to fly. Or is it just another jet lagged mother struggling to socialise with husband’s work colleagues. Whatever the impulse, a slow-mo version of her brush-off is playing on a loop, her manicure all over social media. There is his hand and there is her hand, famously not in each other’s. More star-crossed hands will be difficult to find. Compare this to her hands-on approach with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin’s wife, Nechama. Whose hand Melania grabbed at first sight and held on to. The Trump hands hit the headlines as soon as they got off an Israeli airport this week. He held out his, she didn’t. Now body language experts are busy decoding Trump’s palm-down gesture to Melania (as opposed to Obama’s more equal palm-up one to Michelle). Melania, who demanded and got an abject apology and $3 million from a UK paper that said she ‘provided services beyond simply modelling’, is proving to be a first of a kind FLOTUS. Her bare head while deplaning in Saudi Arabia not just showed off her shampoo but also a mind of her own. Born in Slovenia, living in America and now roaming around in the Middle East, the former model is no stranger to travel. If German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Theresa May can enter these realms with uncovered heads, so can she. Notwithstanding a husband who mocked Michelle’s lack of scarves in 2015. They should know that any stand-offs between them play into the media’s hands. Their hands, four in all, are under 24/7 scrutiny. These are hands that shake important hands the world over. Hands that wave and sign. These are ... First Hands. If necessary, Melania Trump will deploy an elbow to nudge hubby so he puts his hand on his heart during national anthems. Rest of the time she prefers to keep her hands to herself. Donald Trump, whose hands are two decades older than his wife’s, is probably putting his handsy days behind him. Even presidents need a little hand-holding sometimes.

THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2017

Deepak Chopra

There Are Many Ways To Deal With Depression Reena Singh

Y

ou might know someone who often feels sad and lonely, or for no apparent reason, hits the blues. In other words, someone who is ‘depressed’. Many look upon depression as a form of karmic suffering, a black hole with no escape. But linking karma and depression may be too simplistic an approach to the problem. Quite often, a person suffering from depression doesn’t know the reason for his own sadness. According to the World Health Organization, global figures for depression stand at around 5%. The number of depressed worldwide grew 18.4%, between 2005-15. Depression can afflict anyone – poor or rich, successful or unsuccessful, young or old. Hollywood comedian Robin Williams succumbed to depression whereas Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone succeeded in pulling herself out of it, thanks to help from family and professional counselling. I

knew a retired senior police officer, who was the life and soul of every party. One day, he took his life. He had been depressed because of a painful back ailment. Would empathy and compassion for the depressed person help? Yes, say spiritual leaders like the Dalai Lama – we must first recognise the gravity of a person’s misery, empathise and put ourselves in his shoes. Close family members may make a depressed person feel worse by making statements like, “Come on, cheer up; the world is not coming to an end.” How can friends and relatives help? It could be as simple as reintroducing the person to that forgotten, simple lifestyle of yesteryears – where outdoor activity and friendly banter with neighbours, relatives and friends were a part of life. The human touch is important for everyone. WHO is observing 2017 as the Year of

Depression. Henk Bekedam, WHO representative in India, blames modernisation for the increasing incidence of depression. “Modernisation brings its own challenges,” he says. He reflects on his own youth in the Netherlands – after school, every day, he would play football. But today’s children are instead busy on their smartphones and PCs. Physiologically speaking, outdoor play is necessary. It releases endorphins – those hormonal gifts that the body releases to cope with stress and depression. But with the Indian education system’s obsession with superlative marks as the criteria for admission to a good university, children are skipping play periods and opting for tuition instead. Older people are so caught up in the rat race of work and commuting that they, too, skip the outdoors. Play and social interaction teach life skills – a

the

speaking tree

sense of sharing, team spirit and how to take winning and losing in our stride. We also need more celebrity role models like Deepika to come out and tell the world that it is okay to seek help and talk to professional therapists if you are unable to deal with depression on your own. Still others may describe the emotions a depressed person has – of unexplained anger, frustration, rage, sadness and despair – as a demonic spirit that takes control of rational thought processes. This may not be the right approach. On the other hand, spiritual masters do recommend mantra chanting, meditation and seva (service) to enable one to overcome self-obsession and become more giving and compassionate. Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh says, “The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention.” But the one who is depressed also needs to acknowledge the problem and be open to receiving help.

https://t.me/velarch

TIMES BUSINESS THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2017

TIM COOK-LED APPLE AND NOKIA SETTLE PATENT DISPUTE AND SIGN NEW DEAL

Infy adopts new charter to tackle shareholder concerns Move Seen As Reaction To Criticism Of Cos’ Recent Decisions Shilpa.Phadnis @timesgroup.com

Bengaluru: Infosys has adopted a new charter for its board committee that oversees relationships with stakeholders, a move that is seen as a response to the public criticism of some of the company’s decisions by several of its promoters. The committee is tasked to assist the company and the board to receive and address grievances from stakeholders. The committee comprises of four independent directors as members – Jeffrey S Lehman, who is the committee’s chairperson, John Etchemendy, Ravi Venkatesan (now the co-chairman of the board) and DN Prahalad, who was appointed as its member effective January 13. Co-founder N R Narayana Murthy and several others had questioned the compensation and severance packages offered to several top executives, as also certain ac-

EXECUTIVE DIGEST

Markets tank on profit-booking, grim global cues Sensex tumbled 206 points while the nifty closed below the 9,400-mark on Tuesday as investors booked profits amid volatile global cues in the aftermath of a terror attack in the UK. The sensex resumed lower at 30,554 and settled at 30,365, showing a loss of 206 points while the nifty dipped 52 points to 9,386.

Languishing steel projects to be operationalised: The Centre will operationalise all languishing steel projects, irrespective of political considerations, and infuse Rs 500 crore to make viable three of them at Jagdishpur in UP, Bettiah in Bihar and Kangra in Himachal Pradesh, Union minister Birender Singh said on Tuesday. The projects will be made operational within a timespan of two months to one year.

India Inc seals M&A deals worth $15.8bn in Jan-Mar: India Inc inked 252 merger and acquisition deals worth $15.8 billion during January-March quarter, registering a rise of 23% over last year, mainly driven by the Vodafone and Idea deal, says an EY report.

JSPL Q4 net loss narrows to `100cr: Jindal Steel and

Power (JSPL) on Tuesday said its consolidated loss narrowed to Rs 100 crore in the quarter ended on March 31, 2017, on the back of higher income. The company had posted consolidated a loss of Rs 635.8 crore in the year-ago period.

PE investment in realty dips 4.6% in Q1: Private equity investment in real estate fell 4.6% to nearly Rs 9,600 crore during the January-March period of this year even as office segment saw the highest inflow since 2009, according to property consultant Cushman & Wakefield.

Gold falls below `29,000 on weak global cues: Gold prices plunged Rs 235 to Rs 28,915 at the Delhi bullion market on Tuesday amid a weak trend overseas and fall in demand from local jewellers.

SIKKA’S SALARY STATS ➤ Vishal Sikka’s total compensation dropped to `45.11 crore from `48.41 crore in 2015-16 ➤ Base salary rose to $1 million from $900,000 ➤ Bonus and incentives plummeted to $822,389 from $4.32 million

We restructured the compensation of senior leaders to be more performancebased with a significant portion now coming through stock incentives, creating a more direct alignment with the interest of the shareholders Vishal Sikka |

Source: Company report

INFOSYS CEO

quisitions made by the company in the past year. The stakeholders’ relationship committee is not new, but now has a fresh mandate to review and redress investor grievances. The committee adopted a charter in January to assist the board and the company in maintaining healthy relationships with all stakeholders. The committee will oversees the mechanisms for redressing grievances from shareholders, debenture holders, employees, vendors

and customers. It will also have mechanisms to redress whistle blower and internal complaints. When the promoter differences were aired publicly, Infosys had received several complaints from whistleblowers. The fresh mandate of the committee is to review the company’s performance in dealing with stakeholder grievances and have access to any internal information to fulfil its role. The committee can obtain advice and assistance

from internal or external legal, accounting and other advisors. It will also review adequacy of the charter and propose changes to the Board for approval. The committee will meet four times a year. “We have been advocating for a while on redefining the role of the stakeholders, beyond airing grievances – what are their views on the company, their voting patterns,” Amit Tandon, managing director of Institutional Investor Advisory Services (IIAS), said. The committee’s fresh mandate comes at a time when the Infosys board has also roped in law firm Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas to prescribe a new governance code for the IT behemoth aimed at addressing the concerns raised by its founders. Shriram Subramanian, MD of corporate governance research firm InGovern Research Services, wondered what role Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas would play given the new mandate of the committee.

Premji Invest seeks info on Snapdeal sale TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru/Mumbai: Wipro chairman Azim Premjiowned Premji Invest, one of the early investors in Snapdeal, has shot off a letter to the board of the struggling online retailer asking questions about the sale of the company. The move comes on the back of a term sheet, which is a nonbinding agreement under which an investment is made, being signed to push the merger of Snapdeal with its bigger rival Flipkart. The transaction is expected to value Snapdeal at $1 billion in a cut-price deal, as we have been reporting since we first broke the news in our March 28 edition. The term sheet came through on Monday after Nexus gave a nod to the sale, sources told TOI. Now the due diligence process will start as Flipkart would get access to Snapdeal’s opera-

tions and its books, as we reported in our May 12 edition. While the sale process goes into the last leg, minority investors like Premji Invest, which holds around 2% in the company, have been ex-

Minority investors have expressed unhappiness on being sidelined as SoftBank led the Flipkart-Snapdeal merger talks pressing their unhappiness on being sidelined during the past few months as SoftBank led the merger talks. Kalaari Capital and Nexus Venture Partners, among the largest investors in the etailer with 8% and 10% ownership, respectively, have struck a settlement with SoftBank to sell their shares, while the smaller shareholders are unlikely to get compensated by the Japanese group which is orchestrating the sale of Snapdeal to Flipkart. SoftBank holds

around 33% stake in Snapdeal as its latest investor. “The board has responded to Premji Invest, saying they will keep them informed as and when developments unfold. What has happened is that the smaller investors have not been told about how much Kalaari and Nexus are being paid by SoftBank, which has upset them,” another person privy to the goings-on said. An email sent to a Snapdeal spokesperson did not elicit a response, while T K Kurien, managing partner at Premji Invest, declined to comment on the matter. A SoftBank spokesperson said, “We do not comment on details of negotiations. We hope for a resolution soon.” Sources told TOI Premji Invest wrote a letter to the Snapdeal board last week. The letter, a source said, was to ensure all minority investors are protected. “They come from the Wipro stable and governance and transparency are extremely important to them.”

Tata Sons names Mandal as group general counsel Mumbai: Tata Sons on Tuesday announced the appointment of Shuva Mandal, who has worked with some top legal firms, as the group general counsel. The announcement comes on the heels of the appointment of veteran investment banker Saurabh Agrawal as group chief financial officer (CFO) of the holding company of the salt-to-software conglomerate. Mandal will join the company from July. He will replace Bharat Vasani, who has been holding the post of group general counsel for the last 17 years.

Vasani will continue with the group as legal adviser to the chairman’s office, the statement said. A graduate of the National Law School, Bengaluru, Mandal has over 17 years of experience in the legal profession and has advised leading Indian enterprises, global private equity firms as well as Fortune 500 companies. Mandal began his career with legal firm AZB Associates from 2000-15 before moving to Shardul Amarchand (advocates & solicitors) as partner and national practice head (corporate, M&A

and private equity). During his career, Mandal has been actively involved in deal structuring, advising on securities law and development of legal strategy for corporations. “Mandal brings wideranging legal experience and energy into this important role as the group general counsel,” said Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran. Mandal has been advising the Tata group on various matters. In his early days, he worked with the diversified group as a legal adviser to Tata Motors and Tata Chemicals on multiple international projects. AGENCIES

No need to source locally, Tesla told TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: The government on Tuesday used Twitter to respond to Tesla founder Elon Musk’s concerns over local sourcing norms to set shop in India where it was planning an entry. On Monday, in response to a query, Musk had tweeted: “May be I’m misinformed, but I was told that 30% of parts must be locally sourced and the supply does not yet exist in India to support that.” A few hours later, the department of industrial policy and promotion, which fixes the FDI policy, issued a detailed clarification. “Not correct. FDI policy of India does not mandate any such mini-

Tesla has been engaged with the Indian government and its agencies over entering India, with the green car manufacturer earlier indicating that it would launch vehicles during 2017 mum sourcing of components by manufacturers,” it said, adding that after manufacturing in the country, a foreign investor is entitled to sell in any manner — wholesale, retail and e-commerce. It also said that the FDI policy also allows wholesale trading in imported goods without any sourcing conditions. “It is only for retail trading of goods, that sourcing conditions are mandated. Conditions not

applicable to manufacturers as goods are manufactured in India,” DIPP tweeted. Tesla has been engaged with the Indian government and its agencies over entering India, with the green car manufacturer earlier indicating that it would launch vehicles during 2017. In fact, several enthusiasts have made an advance booking for its much-awaited Model 3. Officials said they were surprised by Musk’s tweet

since car manufacturers sell through dealers and not via the retail trading window. In addition, any company — even if they import their vehicles as completely-built units or in kits that are assembled in the country to save on import duty — needs to put in place a service network. In case of Tesla, all components will need to be imported as the supply chain is non-existent. Most automobile companies now have 100% FDI, barring a few such as Maruti Suzuki, although many of them like Honda had entered India with local partners. The government has offered to roll out red carpet for Tesla with PM Narendra Modi keen on the electric vehicle manufacturer to set up shop in the country.

GUENTER BUTSCHEK-LED TATA MOTORS IN SLOW LANE AS Q4 NET DOWN 17% TO `4,336CR

Apple ready to make entire range, seeks sops [email protected]

New Delhi: Apple is ready to manufacture its entire product range in India, but has sought a 15-year tax-free window for importing critical components. The government has, however, said that Apple will have to abide by India’s indigenisation roadmap. “Apple has big plans for manufacturing in India as part of their next phase of expansion,” IT secretary Aruna Sundararajan, who had a meeting with officials of the company recently, said. The company has started assembly of phones at a factory in Bangalore, which is being run by Taiwanese contract manufacturer Wistron. While this seems to be a major achievement for India’s indigenisation programme for electronics manufacturing, the company is currently assembling only one phone model — iPhone SE — here.

15-YR TAX-FREE WINDOW The model is not a large selling one and Apple wants a greater engagement with its global suppliers for a bigger play. “We have had a structured dialogue with Apple’s representatives,” IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said. Sundararajan said Apple has sought 15-year duty free imports for components in India as part of indigenisation roadmap. “They said high localisation cannot be achieved immediately, and will need to be covered over a period of time.” However, the government has suggested India’s own targets regarding the development of local suppliers. “We have also drawn a roadmap of indigenisation, in consultation with the industry. We had suggested to Apple whether they can align with us. There may not be separate concessions for Apple,” the IT secretary said. Questions sent to representatives at Apple India went unanswered.

Radio Mirchi Q4 revenue up 18.6% at `162cr TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: Entertainment Network (India) Ltd, the operator of India’s No. 1 FM radio channel Radio Mirchi, on Tuesday said it posted strong growth despite heavy demonetisation headwinds during the quarter and year ended March 31, 2017. For the January-March quarter, it posted operating revenues of 18.6% at Rs 162.3 crore. After considering other operating income, growth was 12.4% at Rs 165.5 crore. The company, which operates FM radio broadcasting stations through the Radio Mirchi brand in 40 Indian cities, reported an operating ebitda of Rs 35.2 crore and PAT of Rs 13.8 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2017 — both lower because of the impact of demonetisation and investments in phase-3 stations.

ENIL said it posted strong growth despite heavy demonetisation headwinds during the quarter and year ended March 31, 2017 For the full year ended March 31, 2017, operating revenue grew by 11.6% to Rs 549.5 crore as against Rs 492.1 crore in FY16. Total revenues, including other operating income, rose 9.4% from Rs 508.6 crore to Rs 556.5 crore. The company reported an operating ebitda of Rs 125.9 crore and PAT of Rs 54.5 crore for FY17 — both lower because of reasons similar to those for Q4FY17. Commenting on the results, Prashant Panday, MD & CEO, ENIL, said that demonetisation had hit the media industry adversely in Q4FY17. “ENIL’s core radio business was also impacted. However, our strong non-radio businesses and new phase-3 stations helped us post strong revenue growth. Ebitda and PAT were impacted by demonetisation and continuing investments in brand building for new stations. What is extremely satisfying is that our new stations are doing extremely well, both in listenership and revenues,” Panday said.

SoftBank’s Sama may stay off $100bn fund Top Exec Resigned From UK Firm Advising Tech Fund To Placate Arab Sponsors Boby Kurian & Samidha Sharma TNN

Mumbai: Earlier this year, Alok Sama, SoftBank’s president and chief financial officer of its international operations, resigned from the group’s SB Investment Advisers, a vehicle set up by the Japanese internet and telecom conglomerate to advise its ambitious $100-billion Vision Fund, according to a filing made with the United Kingdom’s Companies House. Sama’s stepping down coincides with concerns flagged off by a few of the SoftBank Vision Fund’s (SVF’s) key sponsors — Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi — who sought to keep the top-ranking official out as he faces allegations of kickbacks and conflicts of interest levelled by a set of displeased SoftBank’s investors. SVF was conceived by the Japanese group’s founder Masayoshi Son last year, and is unlikely to figure Sama on its investment committee, which will take final decisions on potential deals, sources said. Details accessed by TOI from the UK’s Companies House database confirmed Sama’s directorship at SB Investments Advisers (formerly SoftBank Vision Advisers) was terminated on January 10, 2017. Incidentally, Sama, who earlier founded Baer Capital Partners and has had a long career as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley, resigned after SoftBank launched a criminal complaint against Nicholas Giannakopoulos, a Swit-

zerland-based consultant, for fronting what the Japanese group has said is an “intimidation scheme” targeting some of its officials, including Sama, on December 23, 2016. A SoftBank spokesperson said Sama’s resignation was a routine administrative procedure which happened in January. Sama, however, remains on the board of SB Vision Advisers, US. The Saudi Arabian government, through the kingdom’s Public Investment

UNDERSTANDING THE SAMA SAGA On Jan 10 this year, SoftBank’s president and CFO (international ops) Alok Sama stepped down from SB Investment Advisers

But top SVF sponsors Saudi Arabia & Abu Dhabi were keen to avoid Sama due to alleged charges of kickbacks and conflicts of interest

The Japanese telecom & internet giant set up SB Investment in the UK to advise its ambitious $100bn SoftBank Vision Fund (SVF)

SoftBank execs say Sama quit due to a technicality required under UK laws wherein one has to spend more than half of the year in the country

Fund, has backed SVF with $45 billion, while SoftBank is committing $28 billion, as announced on May 20. Sources mentioned earlier in the report said the largest sponsors of SVF were “worried about the decision making process” after allegations swirled around top SoftBank executives regarding investments in Indian startups. The SVF’s investment committee may have six-seven members, including four from SoftBank and two from the Saudi Arabian side. SoftBank’s Son and Rajeev Misra, also the chief

Nirma founder’s daughter exits Aculife Healthcare Punita Sells 51% Stake To Nirma Group For `750cr TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad: Nirma founder Karsanbhai Patel’s daughter Punita has decided to sell her 51% stake in Aculife Healthcare Private Limited to Nirma group for a consideration of Rs 750 crore. Aculife is an independent company jointly owned by Punita and Nirma group. “Nirma group has decided to acquire 51% shares of Aculife owned by her (Punita K Patel) at a mutually agreed consideration of Rs 750 crore. The Agreement was executed on May 23, 2017,” Nirma group said in a statement. Punita’s family decided to exit from Aculife to explore other business ventures. As per the company’s website, Kalpesh Patel, Punita’s husband, is current-

executive of SVF, are already named to the committee. While Sama may be out of the firm advising the single largest private equity fund in history, he continues to be involved in sourcing other deals and supporting transaction agreements. He is also closely working on the SoftBank-backed OneWeb’s acquisition of Intelsat and Snapdeal’s merger with Flipkart. SoftBank’s general counsel Brian Wheeler, deputy CFO

ly the chairman and managing director of Aculife. “Both, the Nirma group and Punita had the right of first refusal for protecting ownership of Aculife within the family,” it added. Aculife is engaged is engaged in hospital care products, medical devices, critical care medici-

Punita’s family decided to exit from Aculife to explore other business ventures nes like anesthesia products, plasma volume expander, total Parenteral nutrition, advanced antibiotics, blood related products and various other Pharmaceutical formulations as well as many more branded Over The Counter (OTC) products. Aculife has manufacturing facility at Sachana near Ahmedabad.

Navneet Govil, and global tax head Sarah Taylor — key executives offering core infrastructure support to the fund — continue to work with Sama. A SoftBank insider said Sama’s resignation from the UK advisory firm was prompted by a technicality required, according to UK laws wherein one has to spend more than half of the year in the country. The person also said Sama was busy taking care of the group’s important matters along with Masa in Tokyo, besides leading an investment team in California.

Sagar Ratna set to open stores abroad [email protected]

New Delhi: Seizing the go-vegetarian movement, which is gathering steam around the world, homegrown restaurant chain Sagar Ratna is set to open stores abroad starting with the US, the UK and Canada, Roshan Banan, son of entrepreneur Jayaram Banan of Sagar Ratna and Swagath fame, told TOI. The Banans on Monday said they bought back the 77% stake that they had sold to private equity fund India Equity Partners (IEP) for Rs 132 crore in 2011. Although, they refused to divulge the buyback price, the market was rife with speculation that Sagar Ratna was sold back by IEP at around 40% discount. The group, however, denied the speculation. “We will foray overseas through the franchisee model,” said Roshan Banan, MD of Ocean Pearl Hotels, which runs a chain of hotels apart from restaurants such as Sagar Ratna and Swagath. Currently, the group operates around 90 Sagar Ratna stores. It plans to triple the number in three years through a mix of company-owned stores and franchisee-led ones.

TimesPro ties up with Bennett Univ for MBA TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: TimesPro has announced an academic partnership with Bennett University for its industry-oriented MBA programmes. The association is aimed at MBA aspirants nationwide in the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) industry. TimesPro’s MBA graduates in BFSI have seen over 90% placement rates with prominent banks and financial services companies. The MBA programme aims to tackle the unique challenges facing the industry. Designed to benefit the industry at large, the faculty will include prominent industry practitioners to provide necessary guidance to MBA aspirants. With intensive project-driven classroom training in the

The Bennett University campus

first year and full-time placement opportunities with leading companies in the second year, the programme is focused to hone the candidate’s managerial skills to effectively navigate the workplace and add value to the organisation. Anish Srikrishna, president, Times Centre of Learning (TCLL), said, “The USP of the MBA programme is its industry-vetted curriculum coupled with experiential learning through full-time employment opportunities in the second year. The MBA

programme in BFSI is a premier course that has seen wide acceptance among prominent employers.” Dr Yaj Medury, vice-chancellor, Bennett University, said, “Bennett University’s main goals are driven by the larger aim of enhancing India’s higher education sector, by providing every student a premium Ivy League learning experience. Our USP lies in the courses we offer in partnership with prestigious global institutions such as Georgia Tech (USA), Johnson Cornell (USA), Babson (USA), edX. We eagerly look forward to our engagement with TCLL.” For details about the programme, interested candidates can visit www.timespro.com/mba or contact 1800102-2326 for any query about the course offered/admissions.

https://t.me/velarch

TIMES SPORT THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD | WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2017

ANTONIO CONTE LOOKS TO DOUBLE THE JOY FOR CHELSEA, TARGETS FA CUP TRIUMPH | 20

ANDRE AGASSI AS COACH COULD REVITALIZE DJOKOVIC’S CAREER, FEELS HENRI LECONTE | 20

Ranji captains say no to neutral venues Call For Return Of Home & Away Format; Sourav Conspicuous By Absence From Conclave [email protected]

Mumbai: The top domestic players of the country, as expected, called for the discontinuation of neutral venues for Ranji Trophy when they met at the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) captainscum-coaches conclave here on Tuesday. A majority of players at the conclave want the return of the home-and-away system, which was done away with last year to prevent tampering of wickets. “Most players complained about how it involved too much travelling. It was also pointed out that there was zero local interest in neutral games, in both the media and the public, which denied the Ranji players much-needed publicity,” said a board official. “There were views sup-

TOI

porting both formats. Instead of making a calculation of how many people were on which side, the points made to substantiate a certain position have been collated and will be brought to the working committee and the general body,” BCCI’s acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhary said. Even as issues were hotly debated, Sourav Ganguly, the head of the technical committee of BCCI, was conspicuous by his absence. While the likes of Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, Parthiv Patel, Mohammad Kaif, Adi- ADVANTAGE HOSTS ALL OVER AGAIN? Action during a Ranji match tya Tare and Pankaj Singh put forth their views on the func- Ratnakar Shetty and MV Srid- ers face first-hand. As a technitioning of domestic cricket, har. The Committee of Admin- cal committee head, it’s imporGanguly was missing in ac- istrators (COA) was represent- tant for him to get a direct feedtion. Among the board officials ed by Ramchandra Guha. back from the players. He present were acting president “It would’ve helped if Sou- could’ve joined the meeting CK Khanna, Chaudhary and rav was there, as he would’ve via skype,” a top BCCI official game development managers listened to the issues the play- told TOI. Incidentally, Gangu-

GALLERY

South Africa's AB de Villiers (left) and England's Eoin Morgan pose with the One-day series trophy in Headingley

Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) secretary Jayesh George said they may soon announce India discard Robin Uthappa's selection to play for Kerala in this year's Ranji Trophy season. “Formal discussion is happening. Maybe this week, we will announce Robin Uthappa's selection to play for our state in this year's Ranji season,” George said. Uthappa had scored 388 runs for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. Asked whether Uthappa has talked about his terms and conditions, George said, “For now, I would not like to talk about it. When time comes I will let you know.”

Sangakkara to retire from first-class game: Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara will retire from first-class cricket in September at the end of England's county championship season. The Surrey batsman, who quit Test cricket in 2015 with 12,400 runs, is fifth on the all-time list of Test run scorers, averaging 57.40 in 134 Tests. "You try to fight the inevitable but you need to get out while you're ahead," the 39-yearold told the BBC. "It's the last time I'll play a four-day game here. I'll be 40 in a few months.”

Haris Sohail replaces Umar Akmal in Pak CT squad: Batsman Haris Sohail has replaced Umar Akmal in Pakistan's Champions Trophy squad after the latter failed two fitness tests during a pretournament camp in Birmingham. Pakistan's national selection committee headed by Inzamam ul Haq had called Umar Amin, Sohail and Asif Zakir for fitness test at National Cricket Academy. Akmal had failed to clear the fitness test in the pre- camp for Champions Trophy in Birmingham. He was told to return home to work on his fitness. “The NCA trainer conducted the test of all three players and based on the reports submitted by the trainer and upon Pakistan's team management request Haris Sohail has been selected to replace Umar Akmal,” the Pakistan Cricket Board said. AGENCIES

ACTION TODAY BADMINTON: BWF Sudirman Cup, 7.30 am (Live on Star Sports2, HD2) CRICKET: England vs South Africa, 1st ODI, 6.30 pm (Live on Star Sports 1, HD1) FOOTBALL: UEFA Europa League final, Ajax vs Manchester United, 12.15 am, Thursday (Live on Sony Six, HD, Sony ESPN, HD)

New Delhi: The Pro Kabaddi Season Five auction that lasted over two days here saw a total of 230 players from the available pool of 421being signed up by the 12 teams that will compete in the tournament beginning July 28. While Tamil Nadu staffed their side with the maximum of 25, Team Haryana opted for a squad-strength of 22. Delhi have 20 players in their ranks while Jaipur went with 19. The eight other teams have the minimum required strength of 18 each. More importantly, all the owners sounded pretty satisfied with their team compositions. The biggest story of the auction, however, was the money UP spent on acquiring the services of raider Nitin Tomar, who went for Rs 93 lakh. Another raider Rohit Kumar was acquired by Bengaluru Bulls for Rs 81 lakh. Among the various

The issue of raising the match fees of Ranji players, which was brought up by veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh in a letter to India coach Anil Kumble, was also raised at the conclave. Currently, the players receive Rs 90,000 per match in the Ranji Trophy, which means they can earn up to Rs 6 lakh during a season (lasting five-six months). In

Poor umpiring standards The standard of umpiring which has been poor throughout the domestic season, including the IPL, was heavily criticised by players. While leading Gujarat in the Irani Cup, Parthiv Patel had lamented that the same set of umpires were making mistakes. “We had discontinued the practice of the captains giving their report on umpires because the losing captain would mostly give a bad rating to the officials. But we may have to revive it now,” said an official.

Mumbai: When India failed to qualify for the semifinals of the 2009 ICC World T20, coach Gary Kirsten, while speaking to the media, prior to the team’s inconsequential Super 10 tie against South Africa at Trent Bridge, cited fatigue caused by IPL as a reason for India’s failure. “Fatigue was definitely a factor, as were many other things. We were a relatively tired team when we arrived in England. We’ve been on the road since the end of January and hadn’t really been at home much,” he had said. The dreaded ‘F’ word is doing the rounds again and there are similar fears being expressed especially about the pacers in the current Indian team, led by skipper Virat Kohli, as they gear up to defend their Champions Trophy crown in England. All the pacers in the 15-man side, barring Mohammed Shami (8 games for Delhi Daredevils), who is coming back from a lengthy injury, featured in the playoffs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar played 14 of the 16 games for Sunrisers Hyderabad including the eliminator. Jasprit Bumrah featured in 16 of the 17 games for champions Mumbai Indians and played all the three knockout games. KKR’s Umesh Yadav played in 14 of the franchise’s 16 games. Take into account India’s grand home season featuring 13 Tests in six months and you know why fans are thinking the way they are. E x p e r t s a n d p hy s i o s though think otherwise. Nitin Patel, who was the Indian team physio from 2007 to 2015, is one of them. “We were in a similar situation in 2013. The IPL final was on May 26 and India’s first game in the Champions Trophy was on June 6. It is a similar situation now. The IPL final was on May 21 and India’s first game (vs Pakistan) is on June 4,” states the man who is the chief physio of three-time champions Mumbai Indians and has managed the workloads of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. “One must consider that

outfits, Dabang Delhi and Team Gujarat have entrusted faith in their foreign buys to shoulder a major part of the responsibility. While Delhi have Iran’s top all-rounder Meraj Sheykh and his teammate Abofazel Maghsodlo, Gujarat went for Iranian defender Fazel Atrachali and countryman Abozar Mohajermighani, who was auctioned for Rs 50 lakh. UP seem to have a very balanced squad with some of India’s key players representing them. Along with Nitin Tomar, they have raider Rishank Devadiga, ace defender Jeeva Kumar and all-rounder Rajesh Narwal. U Mumba, winners of the second edition of the PKL, have the presence of Indian skipper Anup Kumar and raider Shabeer Bapu, who was instrumental in their triumph. They also have Korea skipper Dongju Hong, whom they bought for Rs 20 lakh, a pretty cheap buy given the quality

[email protected]

their liking or team’s strengths, the BCCI curators will act as watchdogs with the local groundsmen working under their supervision. It is learnt that next month’s match referees’ meeting will discuss the responsibilities of these officials, whereby they will have to give their opinion on the condition of the pitches. Failing to do so could cost them dear in the future. There were suggestions of doing away with the toss to nullify home advantage, but the BCCI thinks it’s too radical a step at this moment. Having four Ranji Trophy groups instead of the existing three was also discussed at the meeting.

New Delhi: The system of neutral venues could be out in the coming domestic season, and to ensure that host associations do not indulge in pitch tampering, which has been rampant for years, the board is mulling having the pitches at all venues prepared under the supervision of BCCI curators. In order to ensure that quality pitches are provided for domestic matches, as many as 27 BCCI curators will be empowered to supervise the preparation of tracks for the Ranji Trophy, like they did last season. The difference is that as host associatiosn will be tempted to prepare pitches to

Here’s a look at this season’s records of the Indian pace attack for the Champions Trophy... M

Wkts

Avg

Best

SR

ER

5WI

5/48

55.5

2.92

1

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

‘F’ WORD HAUNTS INDIA AGAIN the modern-day player is far more aware about workloads and rest and recovery plans than players even five years ago. Indian players and support staff have the maximum expertise to handle such situations. Since the last five years, we have handled many such situations,” he stressed. MI bowling coach and former Kiwi pace ace Shane Bond in fact feels bowlers might be undercooked. “Because of the condensed schedule and the heat and the travel, the bowlers haven’t been bowling a lot in the nets,” he wrote in a column for the ICC website. “Going into the ICC Champions Trophy, where the top bowlers will be expected to bowl their quota of 10 overs, it will pose unique kind of challenge in terms of the bowlers not having had enough of a workload,” Bond wrote further. It is quite curious though that fears are being expressed about bowlers’ ability to remain fit after featuring in a tournament where they were required to bowl just four overs per game. But IPL also involves travelling and featuring in promotional activities and other paraphernalia. Surely, it could lead to a tired mind. Former Indian pacers Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad concur. Says Srinath, “It is about winning or losing. Losing might stretch you a bit and test you mentally. Body is always fresh when you play T20. Playing under tremendous pressure in the IPL should only work for them in a positive manner.” Srinath also alludes to the importance of the event which is being billed as a mini-World Cup.“ Magnitude of the tournament will overshadow these things. When you are young, your body is willing to do the donkey’s work and you should do it,” he states. Prasad, who is chairman of the Indian junior selection committee, also feels playing under pressure could be the only thing that could add to the mental fatigue of the Indian players. “Bowling only four overs in the IPL should not be an issue unless players have niggles,” he says.

...But independent curators may stay

BOWLING WORKLOAD

Tests

4

10

27.10

ODIs

2

1

119.00 1/63 108.0 6.61

0

IPL

14

26

14.19

5/19

12.0

7.05

1

27.50

3/46

59.3

2.77

0

48.60

2/36

31.2

9.34

0

Mohammed Shami Tests ODIs IPL

6

18

Did not play 8

5

Umesh Yadav Tests

12

30

36.76

4/32

71.1

3.09

0

ODIs

6

9

33.22

3/75

32.0

6.22

0

IPL

14

17

24.11

4/33

17.1

8.45

0

Hardik Pandya Tests

BUMRAH

Yet to play

ODIs

7

9

32.88

3/31

34.0

5.80

0

IPL

17

6

35.50

2/22

26.0

8.19

0

Jasprit Bumrah Tests

Yet to play

ODIs

7

11

32.72

3/35

33.6

5.83

0

IPL

16

20

22.00

3/7

17.8

7.41

0

Stats: Rajesh Kumar

STOKES CREDITS SMITH, IPL FOR IMPROVEMENT London: England all-rounder Ben Stokes says batting tips from Australia captain and IPL team mate Steve Smith was key to helping him improve as a player following a hugely successful debut season in the lucrative Indian T20 tournament. Stokes was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. “I felt like my game has got a lot better, from being able to work with the best players around the world and specialist coaches in that format,” Stokes told British media here. “My bowling has gone up another level, working with Eric Simons, from South Africa (Pune’s bowling coach). Being able to work on those skills for six weeks was a really good thing.” Stokes, however, singled out Pune captain Smith for praise after the pair practiced together. “The guy I’ll actually be playing against in the Ashes was helping me, something you’d never fathom when we’re playing against each other,” he said. REUTERS

BHUVNESHWAR

BCCI raises security concerns ahead of CT Tells World Body To Review Indian Team’s Travel Arrangements Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India has raised concerns about the Indian team’s security in England during the upcoming Champions Trophy in the wake of the terrorist strike in Manchester with the International Cricket Council, acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhry said on Tuesday. “When I woke up, the first thing which I learnt was about these attacks. As soon as I was in the BCCI office we sent out a message raising our concerns about security of the Indian team’s travel, accom-

All-rounders, raiders rule roost at PKL auction [email protected]

Increase in match fee

comparison, many players earn crores by playing for 45 days in the IPL. It was pointed out that domestic players in Australia and England earn substantially more, enough to make a living out of playing at domestic level.

Long Home Season Followed By IPL Might Have Left Indian Pacers Fatigued Ahead Of CT

[email protected]

Uthappa may play for Kerala in Ranji Trophy

ly is also the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). It couldn’t be confirmed if the 44-year-old had informed about his inability to attend this meeting. Suggestions from the conclave are forwarded to the technical committee, which discusses them before tabling it in the board’s working committee, which takes the final call.

the all-rounder brings to the mat. Patna Pirates, who are the two-time defending champions, have the instrumental raider Pardeep Narwal, their elite pick, raider Monu Goyat and experienced defender Vishal Mane. It is these players who have to shine if they are to do well over the course of the tournament that will last for three months. Jaipur Pink Panthers, too, look strong on paper with all-rounder Manjeet Chhillar and raiders Jasveer Singh and K Selvamani in their ranks. Team Tamil Nadu will rely heavily on the performance of raider Ajay Thakur, whom they selected through priority pick on Monday. The former Puneri Paltan and Bengaluru Bulls player, who almost single-handedly won India the World Cup last year and was contracted for Rs 69.3 lakh, will have to be in top form, because TN have chosen to spend heavily on defenders.

modation and the playing (arena). Thankfully ICC has responded to it within two hours. They have been sensitised about our concern,” Chaudhry told reporters.

explained when asked whether the BCCI has been approached on the issue by any UK-bound squad member. ICC Champions Trophy commences on June 1 and India’s

MANCHESTER ATTACK AFTERMATH “Obviously these attacks are in nature of terrorist attack. This is something which can affect any individual on the planet. The security concerns are that much more intense,” said Chaudhry, adding that the team’s schedule “remains unchanged so far.” “These concerns are so overwhelming that the team does not have to come and show its concern. We are all concerned,” he

very much front and centre of our preparations and we constantly review our procedures to guarantee they are as effective as possible to keep everyone safe,” it added.

Will ensure robust security at CT & Women’s WC: ICC

first game is on June 4 against arch-rivals Pakistan. The squad led by Virat Kohli is set to depart for England on Wednesday. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the horrific attack in Manchester. The ICC and ECB place safety and security at the ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC Women’s World Cup this summer as the highest priority,” the ICC stated. “The security situation has been

Dubai: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday said it will review the security for next month’s Champions Trophy and the Women’s World Cup in the UK. “We operate on advice from our tournament security directorate — in conjunction with the ECB and relevant authorities — to ensure that we have a robust safety and security plan for both tournaments,” a statement said. AGENCIES

Manchester attack scars Europa final AFP

Manchester: Manchester United's preparations for Wednesday's Europa League final were plunged into sadness on Tuesday after a bomb attack at a Manchester pop concert killed 22 people and injured dozens more. Manager Jose Mourinho led his players in a solemn minute's silence on United's Carrington training pitches west of Manchester city centre and said the club had been deeply affected by the tragedy. "We're all very sad about the tragic events last night; we can't take out of our minds and hearts the victims and their families," Mourinho said. United were due to fly to Stockholm, scene of the final, later on Tuesday, but the club cancelled their pre-match press conference scheduled to take place at the city's Friends Arena. "We have a job to do and will fly to Sweden to do that job," Mourinho added. "It's a

Wayne Rooney (facing camera) and teammates observe a minute's silence for the attack victims

pity we cannot fly with the happiness we always have before a big game. I know, even during my short time here, that the people of Manchester will pull together as one." Announcing the decision to cancel their press conference, United said in a

statement: "We are sure that, in the circumstances, you will all understand our position on this matter. Our thoughts are with the victims at this terribly difficult time." United's opponents in the final, Dutch club Ajax, tweeted: "From Amsterdam with love to Manchester. Our thoughts are with the victims and the loved ones of those affected." Ajax head coach Peter Bosz was scheduled to hold a pre-match conference at the Friends Arena later on Tuesday. European governing body UEFA said it had "no specific intelligence" suggesting the Europa League final would be targeted by attacks. It said security arrangements had already been beefed up following last month's truck attack in the Swedish capital, which claimed five lives and injured around 15 people. AFP

https://t.me/velarch 20

THE TIMES OF INDIA, AHMEDABAD WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2017

TIMES SPORT

Suffer to win is Zizou’s mantra

AFP

AP

‘Let’s make it fantastic with the Double’ Getty Images

Dwaipayan.Datta @timesgroup.com

T

here was a video doing the rounds on social media a few days back. It showed Zinedine Zidane, with his back to the goal, setting it up with one-touch passes for Isco and Asensio to take cracks at the goal. It all looked relaxed, easy and precise, just the way Zidane used to play his football. But during that practice session, behind the exterior of an easy-going artist, there was a man who demanded the best out of his talented would-be superstars. Just the way, he used to do it from his France, Juventus and Real Madrid teammates between 1996-2006. Geniuses don’t always make great coaches, unless you are a Johan Cryuff. Maybe masters want their players to produce the same game that they used Getty Images

to — a demand that often proves unreasonable. But Zidane seemed to have kept the ego aside when he decided to make a foray into coaching. Learning the ropes under Carlo Ancelotti was a step in the right direction, but when Zidane took over at Real Madrid towards the end of 2015, there were a few raised eyebrows. The first thing that Zidane brought to this Real Madrid side was a sense of calmness. It was never short on resources, the Frenchman tried to make them believe that there will always be a way to win. The Champions League trophy that went to Real last season ideally should have been Atletico’s, but Zidane was bringing in a change. It seemed the touch artist was teaching his talented wards in Real how to win ugly. Game after game after game, Real struggled. Even when Cristiano Ronaldo was not there. Zidane had nurtured a bench — Morata, Isco, Asensio, Nacho — who kept landing the punches. Morata and Isco are so good that they can walk into any first XI across the world. After Real lost to Barcelona 2-3 at home, it seemed that Madrid were done. But Zidane again showed his guts. He rested most of his superstars against De portivo. But it seemed Morata, Isco and Asensio were waiting to prove a point to their coach and it resulted in a 6-2 thrashing of the dangerous Depor. Zidane had proved he has come to stay here as a coach.

EUROPA LEAGUE FINAL

Rooney’s Wish: Europa Trophy And CL Entry In What Could Be His Final Match For United Manchester: Wayne Rooney could finish his Manchester United career by hoisting a European trophy, surrounded by jubilant teammates and with fireworks exploding around him. Still, it wouldn’t be quite the end he would have envisioned after 13 years at the English club. Rooney is set to be a substitute for United on Wednesday in the Europa League final against Ajax in Stockholm, a role which the club’s captain and record scorer has become increasingly accustomed to this season. Depending on the situation in the match, he might not even come on. That’s how it’s been for most of this season, watching from afar at a club where he was once the main man. Talk about United’s key players ahead of a final that means so much

2-2

With this meeting being the 5th time, Ajax and Manchester United have met four times before in European competition sharing two wins apiece (two games in the first round of the 1976/77 UEFA Cup and two legs in the round of 32 during the 2011/12 Europa League campaign).

James Rodriguez will be moving to Old Trafford from Real Madrid, adding to the list of attackers who will be ahead of Rooney in the pecking order next season. Rooney is no longer the force of old, unable to influence matches in the same way or tear around the field

The Champions League is the best competition... now we are playing in the Europa League and if we win it as I did a few years ago (with Chelsea), it’s a double bonus, as it’s a trophy and a Champions League spot, so it’s very important.” —Juan Mata | MANCHESTER UNITED

to the English club, and many would say Marcus Rashford or Paul Pogba or Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Few would say Rooney. That’s the reason why this game might be his last for United despite having two years left on his contract, why he has been linked for much of the past few months with a return to former club Everton, a move to MLS in the United States, or a short spell in the Chinese league. United is moving on under Jose Mourinho and Rooney is being left behind. Speculation grows that

harassing opponents. Games can pass him by and there is the fear that, after 15 years in the spotlight of the soccer world, he is simply burnt out. He will end this season likely having started 25 of United’s 64 games. Often, he was an unused substitute. Mourinho said he would not sell Rooney against his wishes, so it is for the player to decide if Wednesday is the last time he dons a United jersey. Whether he actually makes it onto the field remains to be seen. AP

Kluivert hopes to emulate father with goal Amsterdam: It was a late winner from an 18-year-old Patrick Kluivert that gave Ajax a 1-0 win over AC Milan in the 1995 Champions League final. Justin Kluivert, who just turned 18, might have a chance to follow in dad’s footsteps on Wednesday when Ajax face Manchester United in the Europa League final. But although they are both forwards, these Kluiverts are not identical. “My father was a bit taller, and he was a central attacker. And I am more on the side,’’ said the diminutive winger, who is never afraid to take on a defender and can deliver accurate crosses for teenage teammate Kasper Dolberg in the centre of Ajax’s three-man front line.

They have a lot of stars and a lot of fantastic players, but if they are not at their best, that doesn’t matter. We play to win.” —Kasper Dolberg | AJAX Like his father in Vienna the last time Ajax won a European title, Justin is likely to be a substitute, with Bertrand Traore and Amin Younes favoured to start on the flanks. If he needs inspiration for how to turn a match, Kluivert only needs to look on YouTube. “Of course, you see lots of videos of him ... and the goal,’’ Kluivert said of his dad’s decider, a toe-poke finish with his left foot. Kluivert can only dream of a future career to emulate his father. For now, his focus is purely on Stockholm. “One more thing and that is the toe poke,’’ Justin said. “Or just to score.’’ AP

FA WANTS BETTING INFORMATION ON TERRY WITHDRAWAL

EX-BARCA PREZ ARRESTED IN MONEY LAUNDERING PROBE

PSG, DI MARIA AND PASTORE HOMES RAIDED IN TAX PROBE

The FA have asked betting companies to provide information on wagers placed on John Terry’s stage-managed substitution during Chelsea’s 5-1 win over Sunderland. He left the pitch in the 26th minute which matched his shirt number. Paddy Power confirmed that they had paid out bets at odds of 100-1 on the substitution.

Former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell was arrested on Tuesday in a money laundering investigation related to image rights in the Brazilian national football team. “There are four or five detainees, including the former president of Barca, Sandro Rosell, and his wife,” a police spokesman said.

Investigators raided the headquarters of Paris Saint-Germain and the homes of the Ligue 1 club’s Argentine players Angel Di Maria and Javier Pastore on Tuesday in a tax fraud probe in France, legal sources said. The investigation was launched in December following revelations by the “Football Leaks” website. AGENCIES

Ashwini-Satwik Pair Excels As Team Wins 4-1 Manne.Ratnakar @timesgroup.com

PV Sindhu poses at Surfers Paradise Beach in Gold Coast, Australia, on Tuesday

Ashwini and Satwik were trailing 17-20 in the first game before they saved three game points and won it with a five-point burst. The Indonesians hit back by taking the second game 21-17. But the Indians didn’t give up. They faced stiff resistance but managed to clinch the third game at 21-19 for a morale- boosting victory. Kidambi Srikanth made it 2-0 for India with a 21-15, 21-15 victory against Christie Jonathan. Indonesia made it 1-2 by winning the men’s doubles. PV Sindhu wrapped it up for India, ousting Fitriani Fitriani 21-8, 21-19. The women’s doubles pair of Ashwini and Sikki Reddy brought more delight to the Indian camp with a 21-12, 21-19 victory against Della Harris and Rosyita Eka Putri Sari. Results: India bt Indonesia 4-1 (Ashwini Ponnappa/Satwiksairaj Rankireddy bt Gloria Widjaja/Tontowi Ahmad 22-20, 17-21, 21-19; Kidambi Srikanth bt Jonatan Christie 21-15, 21-16; Satwiksairaj/Chirag Shetty lost to Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo 921, 17-21; PV Sindhu bt Fitriani Fitriani 21-8, 21-19; Ashwini Ponnappa/ Sikki Reddy bt Della Harris/Rosyita Eka Putri Sari 21-12, 21-19).

SUDIRMAN CUP

Road Surcharge of Rs.2.00 will be applicable on this edition for all locations except Abu,Ahmedabad,Anand, Ankleshwar, Baroda, Bhuj, Bharuch, Ghandhinagar, Gandhidham, Jamnagar.Mundra, Nadiad, , Rajkot, Surat, Udaipur. RNI Regn No. 15047/68 published by Mr Hitesh Budhbhatti for the Propritors, Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd. and Printed by him at Vardhman Publishers Ltd. Vejalpur, Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad Office:139, Ashram Road, Ahmedabad-9, Regd Office: Dr D N Road, Mumbai-1Other offices: 7, Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, New Delhi-2, 40/1S&B Towers, M G Road, Banglore-1, PO Box No 57, Gloucester GL2DS U K. Ahmedabad Editor Officer Nos: 67773300, Fax Nos: 26583758 Editor ( Ahmedabad Market ): Bharat Desai- Responsible for Selection of News Under PRB Act ( C) All rights Reserved. Reproduction in Whole or in Part Without Written Permission is Probihited : NO. 121 VOL 50

Russia faces ban from 2018 Paralympics London: Russia faces the strong possibility of being excluded from a second Paralympics over its state-sponsored doping scheme. The International Paralympic Committee said on Monday it remains unconvinced Russia has adopted a new anti-doping culture and implemented the changes required to prove it is cleaning up in time for the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang. The Russian Paralympic Committee claims it has fulfilled 62 of 67 criteria on the IPC reinstatement plan. But the IPC said if Russia “does not meet its obligations in full by early September then there is a strong chance” of the team missing out on South Korea. “This is not quite a final warning, but it is saying we are running out of time fast,” IPC President Philip Craven said. “With each day that passes there's time to sort this one out.”

Griezmann’s chances of joining Manchester United is 60% French international striker Antoine Griezmann said on Monday he had a six out of 10 chance of moving to Manchester United from Atletico Madrid. After saying a transfer to the English Premier League was "possible", 26year-old Griezmann was asked to rate the possibility out of 10. Atletico are likely to be powerless over top-scorer Griezmann's ability to leave with a number of clubs willing to meet his buyout clause.

Youth team ends Asian campaign with relay gold:

ALL OR NOTHING

India rout Indonesia

Hyderabad: A gallant performance by the mixed doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy helped India trounce Indonesia 4-1 in the Group 1D tie of the Sudirman Cup mixed team event in Gold Coast, Australia, on Tuesday. With this win India, who lost to Denmark on Monday, are virtually in the knockout stage of the tournament. Two teams from the three-member group will make it to the quarterfinals. With both India and Denmark registering a win each, they are most likely to advance. The only way Indonesia can progress into the last eight stage is if they thrash Denmark on Wednesday, which looks unlikely. Barring the young men’s doubles team of Satwiksairaj and Chirag Shetty, who lost to Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo 9-21, 17-21, the rest of Indian squad were impressive on Tuesday. It all started with the stunning win of the mixed doubles pair. Though the Indonesians were without Olympic gold medallists Liliyana Natsir and Nitya Krishinda Maheswari , very few expected the Indian mixed pair to cause an upset. Former world championship bronze medallist Ashwini did well to guide the young Satwik throughout the match.

OLD AND YOUNG : Rooney (L) may be playing his last match for Man United while Justin Kluivert (R) is finding his feet at Ajax

SNAPSHOTS

A

ntonio Conte has enjoyed the most remarkable first season as manager of Chelsea after taking a team which finished 10th last season to the Premier League title. But Conte insists his job isn’t finished. He wants to win the FA Cup (against Arsenal on May 27) to complete a very special ‘Double’. Excerpts from an interview: What can you say about your team who have responded so well to your management? I’m very proud of them, they have given me so much. We have only been working together for nine months and yet we are champions with a cup final still to come. There is still room to grow and improve, and we are really looking forward to doing that because we all share the same ambitions. How did you feel when you lifted the trophy at Stamford Bridge? It was a fantastic day and there were a lot of emotions. We won the league with 30 wins, which is very positive for us. But we have to remember that we have another chance to celebrate with the FA Cup final. So we cannot celebrate for long. We need to get back to work. Was there a key point? Well it’s true there were some difficult moments in the autumn but we changed some things, we re-focused, and we worked, worked, worked to make sure we moved forward together. That was an important moment and we dealt with it well. What would winning the double mean to you? It’s a big opportunity for us. Even if we hadn’t won the title this year but we had challenged, then I would have said it was a good season. But we have won the title and that makes it a great season. Now I’m saying if we win the FA Cup as well we can make it a fantastic season. TCM

India’s medley relay team, comprising Gurindervir Singh, Palender Kumar, Manish and Akshay Nain, provided a golden finish to India’s campaign at the 2nd Asian Youth Athletics Championships in Bangkok on Tuesday. The Indian team won the gold with the timing of 1:55.62 ahead of Chinese Taipei (1:55.71) and Hong Kong, the Athletics Fedearation of India said in a release.

Clichy to leave Manchester City: Defender Gael Clichy is set to leave Manchester City when his contract expires next month after six years at the Premier League club, the 31-year-old Frenchman said at an event on Tuesday. Clichy, who joined City from Arsenal in 2011, made a total of 203 appearances for City, winning two league titles. Chelsea’s Conte named Manager of the Year: Chelsea coach Antonio Conte was named Manager of the Year and English Premier League Manager of the Year after leading the London club to the league title, the League Managers' Association (LMA) announced on Tuesday. The former Italy and Juventus head coach was presented the newly commissioned Sir Alex Ferguson Trophy by former Manchester United coach Ferguson and England Manager and LMA President Gareth Southgate at the 25th LMA Annual Awards Dinner on Monday night.

India set to play 15 internationals in 13 months: The Indian national football team is set to play 15 internationals — including eight at home — in a 13-month period, including some which have already been held, the All India Football Federation said. “All the international fixtures will be broadcast live on Star Sports and its digital platform, Hotstar,” a release said. ISL may get AFC approval: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is almost certain to consider the request of the AIFF and accord official status to the three-year-old tournament. AIFF officials held detailed discussion with the AFC earlier this month in Bahrain and general secretary Dato Windsor John is expected to give the go-ahead when he meets AIFF president Praful Patel and general secretary Kushal Das in the Capital on Wednesday. “We made a proposal to the AFC and they said they are willing to consider. They will let us know.” AIFF president Praful Patel said. Siddhi wins AITA crown: Siddhi Khandelwal of Gujarat claimed the girls’ under-12 singles title at the 11th Ramesh Desai memorial MSLTA National AITA tennis tournament in Mumbai recently. Siddhi, a Rachna School student, beat Kundana Bandaru of Tamilnadu 7-5, 6-1 in the final. Bandaru, who had earlier upset the second and third seed players in the tournament, was outplayed by the top-seed Siddhi. In the semifinal, Siddhi had beaten Sonal Patil of Maharashtra 6-1,6-3. Ayush Bhat of Karnataka won the boys’ title in the same age category. TNN & AGENCIES

Mohun Bagan, East Bengal won’t pay ISL franchise fee Kolkata: East Bengal and Mohun Bagan club officials on Tuesday called on chief minister Mamata Banerjee, seeking her intervention in clearing the impasse over their participation in the expanded Indian Super League. Banerjee, on her part, assured both clubs of the state government’s support, following which Mohun Bagan officials decided to pick up the ISL bid document on Wednesday. East Bengal have already done so. Both clubs are against ISL’s policy of having one team from one city and also want the franchise fee waived for them. They have also requested the AIFF to extend the deadline for submitting bid documents. TNN

Agassi could bring something special to Djokovic, feels Leconte

AFP

London: Novak Djokovic could be on the verge of “something special” after teaming up with Andre Agassi for the French Open, former Roland Garros runner-up Henri Leconte said on Tuesday.Serbian Djokovic, the defending French Open champion, announced on Sunday that he would have eight-times grand slam champion Agassi in his corner in Paris after parting ways with his coaching team earlier this month. “It’s brand new and good for tennis,” Leconte, the last Frenchman to reach the final in 1988, said. “I really hope it works because if it does, it could be something special for Novak.” Twelve-times Grand Slam winner Djokovic ended a three-year partnership with Boris Becker late last year when he lost his world No.1 status to Andy Murray. He has struggled to rediscover his best form since winning last year’s French Open to complete a career Grand Slam and this season has seen a run of surprise losses. Leconte says American Agassi, who came back from a career slump to win the 1999 French Open, could help the 30-year-old find the spark that appears to have been missing. “I really believe that he can help Novak find his way back to the top,” Leconte, who will work as a pun-

Alexander Zverev (left)) stunned four-time Rome champion Novak Djokovic to win his first Masters title on Sunday, confirming his status as a French Open dangerman

dit for Eurosport during the French Open, said. “Andre has the strength of personality to give Novak advice. He had the experience of coming back after injury problems and other setbacks to come back from 150 in the world to number one. AGENCIES

Kvitova to return for Wimbledon London: Twice champion Petra Kvitova is set to play at Wimbledon this summer, less than seven months after she was stabbed by an intruder in her home, a member of her support team saids on Tuesday. The Czech, who required surgery to her left, playing, hand after the December attack at home in her home city of Prostejov, has made a faster than expected recovery and could even be ready to play in the French Open, which begins in Paris on Sunday. “She is on track for Wimbledon,” Katie Spellman, Kvitova’s publicity manager, said. “She will make a last minute decision this week about RolandGarros.” Kvitova, who won Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014, will be included on the official entry list for this year’s Championships, which will be released on Wednesday. “The AELTC is always pleased to welcome former champions back to Wimbledon, and would be delighted if Petra Kvitova is able to compete in The Championships this year,” Wimbledon said in a statement. AFP

Krunal eyes place in Indian team

Curry leads Warriors to 3rd series sweep

‘Doing Well In 2nd IPL Season Is Tough As Opponents Know Your Game’

San Antonio: Stephen Curry scored 36 points and Kevin Durant added 29 points and 12 rebounds as the Golden State Warriors strolled to a 129-115 win over San Antonio Spurs on Monday to complete a four-game sweep of the Western Conference finals. Golden State moves on to play either the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers, in a repeat of last year's title series, or the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. The Cavaliers currently lead the Eastern Conference finals 2-1. Golden State will have nine days of rest ahead of that series, which begins in Oakland, California on June 1. The Warriors have swept all three of their playoff series and are the first team in NBA history to start the post-season 12-0, eclipsing the record established by the 1989 and 2001 Los Angeles Lakers. AGENCIES

Putin’s commission calls for change after doping chaos

[email protected]

Moscow: A Russian antidoping commission set up by President Vladimir Putin called for new measures to claw back prize money from drug cheats and to restore trust in Russian athletes. The commission, headed by 82-year-old former International Olympic Committee member Vitaly Smirnov, denies the Russian government played any role in covering up drug use, as alleged by a World Anti-Doping Agency investigator last year. However, it said rules need to be tightened and admitted some coaches were motivated to use “any means” to propel their athletes to victory. AGENCIES

Vadodara: “Performing well in the second Indian Premier League (IPL) season is always tough for players as the opponents have already read your game in the first season and they come hard at you. I am very satisfied with my performance this year. In fact, this was a better season for me,” said Krunal Pandya, who was adjudged the man of the match for his 47-run knock for Mumbai Indians in the just-concluded IPL final. The 26-year-old scored runs when his team needed it most and helped MI post a respectable score which they could defend against the Rising Pune Supergiant. “I was out of action

for a long time due to injury but I had a good outing for Baroda in Vijay Hazare Trophy this season. So, I was confident of doing well in IPL,” Krunal told TOI. He scored 243 runs and took 10 wickets in the 13 games he played. The all-rounder felt that despite the format hugely favouring the batsmen, bowlers in the IPL are getting smarter. “The wickets were a bit slow during IPL this time but bowlers have developed skills to bowl effectively. After all, it is the bowlers who win the matches,” Krunal said. When asked about becoming the first pair of brothers to play for the same team in an IPL final, Krunal said that playing with Hardik was an amazing experience. “We used to discuss our game during IPL but it was not on a serious note. In fact, we both make fun of

each other when we fail to get more runs or wickets. We often teased each other when either of us failed to deliver. But, we both take it very lightly,” Krunal revealed. He is, of course, expecting to make it to the Indian team. “I am not thinking much about it but it is always a dream for any cricketer to play for India,” he said. He was elated on Tuesday morning when Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan tweeted his photos with Pandya brothers. “It was a dream come true when Amitabh Bachchan praised our performance and said he always follows our game. Sachin Tendulkar too appreciated my on-field attitude and shared his experiences with me. I also managed to meet Shah Rukh Khan. God wrote the best script for me. These were the best two months of my life,” said Krunal.

https://t.me/velarch