TUESDAY 21 JANUARY 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘ISSUE OF NASHIK, RAIGAD GUARDIAN MINISTERS TO BE RESOLVED AMICABLY’ BIDEN PARDONS FAUCI, MILLEY IN FINAL HOURS OF OFFICE P9 SENSEX 77,073.44p454.11 WEATHER Generally clear. Partly cloudy in the evening. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 27°C and 16°C respectively. 23,344.75p141.55 ` vs $ 86.46 Life imprisonment for Sanjay Roy: Court A New Moon on 29 January THUMBNAILS Pramukh Swami Maharaj along with other sages perform rituals before Panch Kosi Parikrama at Sangam during 'Mahakumbh' 2025, in Prayagraj on Monday. n ANI SC stays defamation case against Rahul in Ranchi court: In a relief to the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Supreme Court on Monday stayed proceedings against him before a trial court in Ranchi, Jharkhand, in a criminal defamation case arising from his 2018 speech at AICC plenary session saying that the Union Home Minister Amit Shah was an "accused" in a murder case. special court in Kolkata, on Monday, sentenced Sanjay Roy, the sole accused in the case of rape and murder of a woman doctor of staterun R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, to life imprisonment. The ghastly incident happened on 9 August, last year. While pronouncing the quantum of sentence, the special court judge, Anirban Das, also made it clear that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s contention that Roy's offence in the matter was “the rarest and rare crimes” was not tenable. Hence, the judge observed that instead of the “death penalty”, Roy, an erstwhile civic volunteer attached to Kolkata Police, be sentenced to “life imprisonment”. While the conviction in the crime of ‘rape and murder crime’ is over, the angle in the tampering of evidence in the matter is still alive. The CBI, sources said, had already informed the special court that the scope for filing a supplementary charge sheet on the “tampering of evidence" angle is still open, which keeps the case open. Apart from the death sentence, a financial penalty of Rs 50,000 has also been imposed on Roy. The judge of the special court, at the same time, directed the West Bengal government to pay a compensation of Rs 17 lakh to the family of the victim. The judge observed that the since the victim was raped and murdered at her workplace, which is a state-government entity, legally the state government has to pay compensation to the victim’s family. On 18 January, Roy was convicted under Section 64 (punishment for rape), Section 66 (punishment for causing death or resulting in a persistent vegetative state of a victim) and Section 103(I) (punishment for murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). On the compensation issue, the victim’s parents argued that they have never sought money as compensation for the ghastly end of their daughter. Mamata warns against religion-based division in society STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 20 JANUARY Without naming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), chief minister Mamata Banerjee today lambasted the saffron party for spreading communal hatred in Murshidabad. She held an administrative review meeting at Lalbag and took part in a distribution programme. She said, "They come during elections and speak about Hindu-Muslim divide. Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Viverkananda, Rabindranath Tagore and Nazrul Islam have always spoken about communal harmony and unity and they have earned respect from the people around the globe. Should we respect them or the leaders who are there to divide society on the basis of religion?" She thanked the imam who had played a leading role to thwart a riot in Beldanga recently. "I thank the imam for his positive role. The Muslims should protect the Hindus and vice versa." She urged people not to listen to leaders West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee displays a key and a conch during a distribution program of various government aid to poor people, in Murshidabad on Monday. n ANI who want to destroy communal peace and harmony. Murshidabad shares a border with another country and I would request the BSF to intensify their vigil along the border and urge people not to take law into their own hands." Miss Banerjee criticised the BJP-led Centre for not taking up proper steps to stop erosion along the river Bhagirathi. Erosion is a major problem in Murshidabad. Our request to the Centre to do the needful has failed to evoke any response. The state government has spent Rs 400 crore to stop erosion in the district," she said. The chief minister urged people to visit the Lakshmir Bhandar camps, which will be held from 24 January and continue till 1 February. Many people, particularly the CPM, had criticised me for the scheme. I have given them a befitting reply as this scheme has helped women enormously who no longer ask men for money to buy anything which they want," she said. Miss Banerjee said proposed hospital for the bidi workers will come up in Murshidabad. "We have selected the land and are now working on the modalities. We have looked after the migrant workers from Murshidabad." Miss Banerjee regretted that a team from Delhi Police had recently visited the city to serve notices on them who had staged a demonstration at Jantar Mantar last year to request the Centre to clear the dues of 100 days work. A minister in the rank of minister of state refused to meet our MPs and some aggrieved workers. We have paid their dues and told the police team that they will hand over the notices to us. You cannot pay the dues of the workers but pull them up by launching an agitation to voice their demands." Recently, in the last 3/ 4 months, we have been able to ensure capital/ maximum punishment for convicts in such crimes. Then, why, in this case, has capital punishment not been awarded? I strongly feel that it is a heinous crime that warrants capital punishment. We will plead for capital punishment of the convict at the High Court now. MAMATA BANERJEE Chief Minister of West Bengal THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 20 JANUARY The Neyyattinkara Additional Sessions Court on Monday awarded the death sentence to SS Greeshma, who was convicted of murdering her 23-year-old boyfriend, Sharon Raj, by administering a lethal herbicide-laced Ayurvedic concoction in October 2022. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on Greeshma. In addition to the death sentence, the court sentenced Greeshma to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs1 lakh under Section 364 (kidnapping or abduction for murder), 5 years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs50,000 under Section 328 (causing harm using poison), and 2 years of imprisonment under Section 203 (destroying evidence or providing false information to shield an offender) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Greeshma's uncle, Nirmal Kumar Nair, received a threeyear imprisonment sentence for destroying evidence. However, the court acquitted Greeshma's mother, Sindhu, citing insufficient evidence. Additional Sessions Court Judge AM Basheer, in a 586page verdict, ruled the case as "rarest-of-rare" and noted that the meticulously planned murder deserved no leniency despite Greeshma's young age and educational background. The judge remarked, "The accused betrayed Sharon's trust. Even on his deathbed, Sharon loved her and hoped she would not be punished." The court observed that Greeshma not only killed Sharon but also desecrated the sanctity of love, sending a disturbing message to society. "She carried evidence of her crime from the day it was committed," the judge said. Sharon Raj, a BSc Radiology student, succumbed to multiple organ failure on October 25, 2022, 11 days after consuming the poisonous concoction. Greeshma, his girlfriend, prepared the mixture by combining paraquat dichloride—a toxic herbicide—with an Ayurvedic medicine and served it to Sharon at her home on October 14, 2022. To mask the bitter taste, she gave Sharon mango juice along with the concoction. Sharon fell ill shortly after leaving her house and was initially treated at the Parassala Government Hospital. Despite subsequent visits to other hospitals, his condition deteriorated, and he was eventually admitted to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital's ICU. Sharon BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 80.89p0.100 Donald Trump sworn-in as 47th President of United States AGENCIES WASHINGTON, 20 JANUARY Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States as during the 60th Presidential Inauguration at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. US Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath to Trump. Prior to Trump's swearing-in, JD Vance was swornin as US Vice-President. Earlier, Trump alongside outgoing US President Joe Biden arrived at US Capitol from White House for the swearing-in ceremony. Earlier Vice President Kamala Harris accompanied VP elect JD Vance to the Capitol. Donald Trump's wife, Melania Trump, arrived at Rotunda along with Vance's wife, Usha Vance. Biden's wife, Jill Biden and Kamala Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff, arrived ahead of them. Trump's cabinet nominees took seats ahead of his inauguration. Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and tech billionaire Elon Musk, the co-chairs of the newlycreated Department of Government Efficiency, also attend- ed the ceremony. Former US Presidents and First ladies, including Bill Clinton and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, George Bush and Laura Bush attended Trump's inauguration. Former US President Barack Obama was also present during the ceremony. Donald Trump's children -- Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr, Tiffany Trump, Eric Trump and Baron Trump were present in US Capitol to attend his inauguration. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Google CEO Sundar Pichai attended the ceremony. Trump in his inaugural speech said at the begining: “Golden age of America has just begun. Top priority is to create a nation which will be prosperous, proud and free. I will put America first. we will be greater than ever.” He added: “In this journey to reclaim, I have learnt a lot. I was saved by God to make America great again.” After the swearing-in, President Trump will take part in the signing ceremony in the President's Room, a tradition that began in 1981 with President Ronald Reagan. This event marks one of the first official actions of the newly sworn president, where he signs nominations and various memorandums or proclamations. Following the signing, a luncheon will be held, and Trump will take part in the review of the troops before heading to Capitol Hill to join the inaugural parade. Later, Trump and his wife will participate in a signing ceremony at the White House and deliver remarks at the Convention Centre. The evening will conclude with the first dance at the Liberty Ball, followed by participation in the Commander-in-Chief Ball and the United Station Ball. The day will end with Trump's return to the White House. EAM Jaishankar meets counterparts from Australia, Japan to discuss QUAD agenda India at forefront of age defined by tech evolution: WEF report AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 20 JANUARY India stands at the forefront as one of the world's fastestgrowing economies and a global hub for startups and digital innovation, a World Economic Forum (WEF) report said on Monday. According to the report, launched by the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) India, the liaison office of the WEF in India, the country’s "advocacy for and pursuit of developmental templates where technology serves as a bridge rather than a barrier are highly relevant and the Forum is proud to act as its partner in shaping a more human-centric, planet-friendly and resilient future”. The C4IR India was launched in October 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the aim of driving the adoption and responsible deployment of emerging technologies in India. Death sentence for Greeshma in Sharon Raj murder case STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE P12 SILVER 1,04,000 GOLD 81,680.00 KOLKATA, 20 JANUARY Min: 16.1˚C SUN SETS 17:17 hrs MOON SETS 10:40 hrs 'FLEXIBLE' LINE-UP FOR T20IS: AXAR PATEL P4 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Min. 58% TEMPERATURE Max: 27.5˚C SUN RISES 06:18 hrs MOON RISES 23:47 hrs P5 Penalty of ` 50,000 was also imposed on RG Kar rape-murder accused RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 76% NIFTY ‘DMK HAS VESTED INTEREST IN PARANDUR AIRPORT PROJECT’ suffered irreversible liver, kidney, and lung damage and died of cardiac arrest caused by organ failure. Greeshma and Sharon began their relationship in 2021, but she sought to end it after getting engaged to an army officer in 2022. Sharon, who had unofficially married Greeshma, was reluctant to part ways. Frustrated, Greeshma decided to eliminate him secretly. Greeshma was convicted under multiple IPC sections, including murder (Section 302), while her uncle was found guilty under Section 201 for destroying evidence. Sharon's parents expressed satisfaction with the court's judgment. "My son has received the justice he deserves," his mother stated. However, they expressed disappointment over the acquittal of Greeshma’s mother, Sindhu, and announced plans to appeal against it in the High Court. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 20 JANUARY External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is in Washington to attend US President-elect Donald Trump’s swearing-in, met with his counterparts from Australia and Japan and discussed bilateral issues and those pertaining to QUAD. “Delighted to meet FM @SenatorWong, a Quad colleague, in Washington DC today. As always, enjoyed our discussion on the state of the world,” he posted on X after meeting Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong. “Reviewed the progress in our bilateral cooperation. Also discussed developments pertaining to Quad,” he said in another post after his meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya. Mr Jaishankar is also expected to meet US Secretary of Statenominee Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of Australia and Japan in the formal QUAD setting to discuss the agenda for the QUAD Summit to be held in India later this year.