FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI | Wednesday, 20 May 2026 SPORTS WORLD Putin visits China to reaffirm Russia ties EDITORIAL New Bengal PERSPECTIVE Strategic partnership for the Indo-Mediterranean Page 10 Page 6 BRIEFLY Jahangir Khan withdraws from bypoll race, praises CM: Kolkata: In a dramatic development ahead of the Falta Assembly by-election scheduled for 21 May, Trinamul Congress candidate Jahangir Khan on Tuesday announced his withdrawal from the contest, publicly praising Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and citing “peace and development” of the area as the reason behind his decision. The announcement came just hours before campaigning officially ended for the bypoll and has triggered sharp political reactions across party lines. Jahangir, often described as a strongman leader with considerable influence in the Diamond Harbour belt, made the declaration during a Press conference where he lauded the chief minister’s leadership and administrative approach. ‘India, Nordic nations aligned Supreme Court upholds on peace, rules-based order’ citizens’ right to live free STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 19 May P rime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India and the Nordic nations share a united position on terrorism, global peace and strengthening a rules-based international order, as he addressed a joint Press conference following the 3rd India-Nordic Summit. Speaking alongside the leaders of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, Mr Modi said the relationship between India and the Nordic countries was rooted in common democratic values and a shared commitment to multilateralism. “Our shared commitment to democracy, rule of law, and multilateralism makes us natural partners,” Mr Modi said, adding that cooperation in technology and sustainability was opening new opportunities for both sides. The Prime Minister stressed that the current global climate, marked by wars and geopolitical tensions, required closer coordination among likeminded nations. “In this era of global tension and conflict, India and the Nordic countries will continue to strengthen a rules-based global order together,” he said. Referring to ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia, Mr Modi reiterated India’s support for peace initiatives and diplomatic solutions. “Whether it STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 19 May is Ukraine or West Asia, we will continue to support efforts for a swift end to conflict and for peace,” he said. Mr Modi also underlined the need for reforms in global institutions, saying existing multilateral frameworks must reflect contemporary realities. “We agree that reform of multilateral institutions is both necessary and urgent,” he said. On the issue of terrorism, the Prime Minister delivered one of the strongest messages New Delhi, 19 May A shocking case of human trafficking has come to light in which it is learnt that 11 Punjab-based children were illegally sent to the United States by an Uttarakhandbased visa agent from New Delhi. The accused was detained by alert immigration staff of the US Embassy while he was about to take another minor, the 12th, along with him to the US on the basis of fake documents. After the arrest, the accused was sent to judicial custody before being granted bail by a Delhi court. In this connection, an FIR has been lodged by the Overseas Criminal Investigator at the Regional Security Office of the US Embassy, Mr. Jeffrey B. Gieser. Police sources said that the accused, identified as Attarpal of the summit, asserting that India and the Nordic countries shared a firm and uncompromising approach. “We have a clear and united stand on terrorism ~ no compromise, no double standards,” he said. The summit also focused heavily on economic cooperation and trade integration between India and the Nordic region. Mr Modi noted that the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement with Norway, Iceland and other members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), implemented from October 2025, had strengthened commercial ties. He also referred to the recently concluded IndiaEuropean Union Free Trade Agreement, describing it as a major step toward deeper engagement with Nordic economies including Denmark, Finland and Sweden. • Related reports: Page 5 Putin will attend BRICS summit in Delhi on 12-13 September: Kremlin STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 19 May increase in fuel prices in nearly four years. Following that revision, petrol prices in Delhi had jumped from Rs 94.77 to Rs 97.77 per litre, while diesel prices had risen from Rs 87.67 to Rs 90.67. The earlier hike was introduced amid a sharp rise in international crude oil prices triggered by tensions in West Asia and disruptions in global oil supply routes. Despite the Rs 3 increase, oil companies were reportedly still facing substantial losses due to the widening gap between international crude prices and domestic retail fuel rates. Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the BRICS summit scheduled for 12-13 September in New Delhi, a Kremlin aide said. BRICS brings together 11 major markets and developing countries: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. This will be the Russian President's second visit to India in a year. Mr Putin last visited India for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, which took place in New Delhi in December 2025. The BRICS summit is scheduled to be held in New 11 minors illegally sent to USA on forged documents, accused on bail ATUL KRISHAN Page 12 Page 7 Petrol, diesel prices hiked again; fuel rates up by 90 paise per litre Petrol and diesel prices were hiked again on Tuesday, with fuel rates rising by around 90 paise per litre across the country. This marks the second increase in less than a week as soaring global crude oil prices continue to put pressure on state-run oil companies. With the latest revision, petrol price in Delhi increased to Rs 98.64 per litre from Rs 97.77, while diesel rose to Rs 91.58 per litre from Rs 90.67. Similar increases were recorded in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, pushing fuel prices higher across major cities. The latest hike comes just four days after oil marketing companies had raised petrol and diesel prices by Rs 3 per litre on May 15, which was the first major Neymar picked for Brazil’s WC squad despite doubts on fitness Singh, a resident of Dehradun, was allegedly trying to send a 13-year-old boy to the US claiming that he was his son. However, during visa interview, the child disclosed that Attarpal Singh was not his father but a visa agent. During the verification of records, embassy officials discovered that Singh had previously applied for US visas for at least 11 other children claiming to be their father. In every application, the same names ~ Attarpal Singh as father and Amarjeet Kaur as mother ~ were used. Investigations revealed that the accused obtained passports for the children from the Regional Passport Office in Dehradun using forged affidavits, fake birth certificates, and fabricated documents. Investigators claimed that the forged birth certificates were prepared with the help of a person identified as Raju, who met the accused near the MCD office in Dehradun. Sources said during interrogation, Attarpal Singh confessed to have sent 11 children to the United States on fake passports and forged identities. The investigators later contacted the Passport Office and Nagar Nigam authorities in Dehradun. According to sources, replies received from both departments confirmed that the passports and birth certificates of the children had been issued in the name of Attarpal Singh as their father on the basis of false information and forged documents. Police sources also claimed that fake school certificates, forged affidavits, and fabricated birth records were used to create the identities of the children. Travel records collected from the FRRO showed that the accused had travelled to the US along with some of the children but several of them never returned to India. During the investigation, police traced parents of the children, who spotted their sons and daughters in the photographs attached to the embassy complaint. Notices were issued to the parents to join the investigation. Sources claimed that the parents told the investigators that Attarpal Singh had assured them that he would send their children to America through “legal means.” The police said he charged between ₹10 lakh and ₹15 lakh per child. The police also questioned the accused’s wife and son, Jaspreet Singh. Both reportedly told the investigators that they were not aware of his activities and did not know the families of the children involved. The accused has been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Passport Act. Delhi in September under India's chairmanship for the year 2026. The Russian Embassy in South Africa, in a post on social media platform X, cited an aide to Putin, Yury Ushakov, as saying that the Russian President will attend the BRICS Summit from September 12 to 13. “President of Russia Vladimir Putin will attend the BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12-13 - Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov,” the X post read. Delhi court rejects Umar Khalid’s bail plea in 2020 riots case: New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday rejected the interim bail plea of former JNU student leader Umar Khalid in the 2020 North East Delhi riots conspiracy case registered under the UAPA. Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of the Karkardooma Court dismissed Khalid’s request for 15-day interim bail, which was sought to attend the Chehlum ceremony of his late uncle and to look after his mother, whose surgery is scheduled for 2 June. While refusing relief, the court observed that merely because Khalid had earlier been granted interim bail and had complied with all conditions, it could not become a ground for granting bail on every occasion. from fear of stray dog attacks PARMOD KUMAR New Delhi, 19 May Linking the issue of the stray dog menace to the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court on Tuesday held that citizens have the right to live with dignity and move freely in public spaces without fear of dog bites and violent attacks. The Court also directed authorities to euthanise rabid, incurably ill, and demonstrably dangerous or aggressive stray dogs in accordance with the law. Observing that incidents of dog bites and stray dog attacks were occurring across the country with “alarming frequency and severity”, a Bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, and Justice N.V. Anjaria said the consequences were not merely statistical but carried grave human, societal, and public health implications. “The right to live with dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution of India necessarily encompasses the right of every citizen to move freely and access public spaces without living under a constant apprehension of physical harm, attack, or exposure to life-threatening events such as dog bites in public areas,” the Bench said in its judgment. The Court held that in areas where the stray dog population had reached alarming proportions and attacks had become frequent, authorities may, after assessment by qualified veterinary experts and strictly in accordance with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, and other statutory protocols, take legally permissible measures, including euthanasia of rabid, incurably ill, or dangerous dogs, to curb threats to human life and safety. At the same time, the Court protected officials implementing these directions in good faith, holding that government authorities carrying out such measures would be entitled to legal protection. FIRs against them could be registered only where a prima facie case of mala fide action or gross abuse of authority existed. The judgment strongly criticised the inadequate implementation of the Animal Birth Control framework, observing that sterilisation and vaccination programmes had remained sporadic, underfunded, and uneven across the country. Justice Sandeep Mehta, speaking for the Bench, observed that had States and Union Territories acted with due diligence from the inception of the ABC regime by augmenting sterilisation capacity, vaccination drives, and institutional infrastructure, the situation would not have reached such alarming proportions. Referring to recurring incidents involving children, elderly persons, and even international travellers being attacked by stray dogs, the Court said neither the State nor constitutional courts could remain passive spectators when preventable threats to human life continued to proliferate. “This Court cannot remain oblivious to the harsh and deeply disturbing ground realities emerging from various parts of the country, where young children have been mauled, elderly persons attacked, ordinary citizens left vulnerable in public spaces, and even international travellers have fallen victim to such incidents,” the judgment noted. Kerala CM settlement unsettles fragile political calm in neighbouring Karnataka VIBHA SHARMA New Delhi, 19 May The Congress may have successfully resolved the tricky issue of leadership in Kerala, but the tussle between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar appears to have returned to haunt the party high command. Pushed to the sidelines amid the election hullabaloo in four key states and a Union Territory, the issue now seems to be back on the burner, with speculation resurfacing over a possible leadership change in Karnataka. Mr Siddaramaiah has reportedly sought a meeting with the Congress high command, with party president Mallikarjun Kharge informing him that he would be called to Delhi soon. Mr Siddaramaiah is believed to be seeking discussions on a possible Cabinet reshuffle. While Mr Siddaramaiah has been pushing to fill vacant ministerial posts and make some changes, a rejig at this stage could potentially weaken Mr Shivakumar’s hopes of a leadership transition. Observers say that if Mr Siddaramaiah succeeds in further consolidating his hold over the administration and the legislature party, it could spell curtains for Mr Shivakumar’s hopes. With supporters of Kerala Congress leader V. D. Satheesan ensuring that their leader emerges as the party’s face in the state, Mr Shivakumar’s supporters too have intensified their campaign for him. Sources say the high command’s preference for Mr Satheesan over senior leaders K C Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala were influenced by several factors, including his performance as Leader of the Opposition, being the go-to person for the party in difficult situations and strong grassroots connect ~ factors that also apply to Shivakumar, they add. Mr Shivakumar also appears to have conveyed to the leadership that any decision should be taken only after addressing the so-called “2.5-year promise” ~ a reference to speculation over a rotational chief ministership arrangement in Karnataka promised at the time of the formation of the government. The current situation appears similar to that in November, when intense speculation over a possible leadership transition triggered political uncertainty. The Congress, however, managed to contain the crisis, but without giving any definitive resolution. But the successful settlement of the Kerala leadership issue influenced by grassroot support for Mr Satheesan now seems to have unsettled the delicate political balance in Karnataka, with the battle between Mr Siddaramaiah and Mr Shivakumar intensifying once again.