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 SC refers Khalid-Imam bail issue to larger Bench Ronaldo ends Saudi trophy drought with two goals in Al-Nassr’s win to clinch league title Page 5 ‘Give wildlife stakeholders their due’ Page 12 NATION EDITORIAL Page 7 Page 6 Bengal CM meets PM Modi in Delhi, seeks push for ‘double-engine growth’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 22 May B engal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi during his first official visit to the national capital since assuming office, signalling what both sides described as a renewed phase of cooperation between the state and the Centre focused on development, welfare delivery and border security. Following the meeting, Mr Adhikari described the interaction as “fruitful” and said the Prime Minister had reiterated the Centre’s commitment to West Bengal’s development. In a detailed post on social media, the Chief Minister said he was “honoured and privileged” to have met Mr Modi and thanked him for his “warm wishes” and “unwavering commitment to the progress” of the state. “This marks my first Official Meeting with PM since assuming the responsibility of serving the People of West Bengal as the Chief Minister,” Mr Adhikari said. “Prime Minister reemphasised his vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and reiterated that the development of West Bengal remains a top priority for the Central Government.” He further said the Prime ECI announces Rajya Sabha poll schedule for 24 seats across 10 states STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 22 May The Election Commission of India on Friday unveiled the schedule for the biennial Rajya Sabha elections to fill 24 seats that are set to fall vacant across 10 states following the retirement of sitting members in June and July 2026. According to an official statement issued by the Commission, polling for all 24 seats will take place on 18 June 2026, with vote counting scheduled for 5 p.m. on the same day. The entire election process is expected to conclude before 20 June. The vacancies arise due to the retirement of Rajya Sabha members from Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Mizoram As per the announced schedule, notifications for the elections will be issued on 1 June, while 8 June has been fixed as the last date for filing nominations. Scrutiny of nomination papers will be conducted on 9 June, and candidates may withdraw their nominations until 11 June. Polling, wherever necessary, will be held between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on 18 June. Among the notable leaders set to retire are former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha patriarch Shibu Soren. Minister had assured “all possible help, guidance, and Central Support to rescue West Bengal from years of stagnation and place it firmly on the fast track of economic growth, industrial revival and youth empowerment.” “With the blessings of the Centre and the trust of the People, we are ready to usher in a new era of double-engine growth, transparent gover- Bhopal, 22 May The Madhya Pradesh government on Friday officially handed over the investigation of the Twisha Sharma death case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The state Home Department issued a notification in this regard. MP CM Dr Mohan Yadav had assured the parents and family members of the deceased Twisha Sharma of handing over the investigation to the CBI on their demand when they called on the CM a couple of days ago. In the notification issued in this regard, the government has proposed to transfer the investigation of the case registered at Katara Hills Police Station under Sections 80 (2), 85, 3 (5) of the Indian Penal Code, 2023, and Section 3/4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, regarding the dowry death incident that occurred on 12 May 2026, to the Central Bureau of Investigation. Former Miss Pune Twisha Sharma (33) was found dead under suspicious circumstances, allegedly by hanging, on the terrace of her in-laws’ house in the Katara Hills locality of Bhopal on the night of 12 May. Twisha’s parents have been accusing her husband, Samarth Singh, and mother-in-law, retired judge Giribala Singh, of harassing Twisha for dowry and “murdering” her. On the other hand, Giribala Singh has been claiming that Twisha was addicted to drugs, was undergoing psychiatric treatment for her problems, and had committed suicide. The Bhopal police had registered a case against nance, and holistic development for West Bengal,” Mr Adhikari added. The visit comes shortly after the Bharatiya Janata Party formed its first government in Bengal under Mr Adhikari’s leadership following a landmark Assembly election victory earlier this month. Mr Adhikari’s engagements in the capital began with a meeting at the residence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, where discussions are understood to have centred on law and order, border management and coordination between state authorities and central agencies. Sources familiar with the discussions said the leadership reviewed the security situation along the India-Bangladesh border and assessed the implementation status of various central schemes in Bengal. Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister also met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Mr Adhikari later paid courtesy visits to President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan and Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan. The meeting with Mr Modi, however, remained the focal point of the visit, with officials indicating that Mr Adhikari formally sought a special financial package for Bengal aimed at accelerating infrastructure expansion, industrial revival and welfare programmes in the state. According to officials, discussions also included the implementation of key centrally sponsored schemes, particularly Ayushman Bharat, after the newly formed state Cabinet approved the rollout of the flagship health insurance programme during its first meeting earlier this week. The state government is also expected to seek clarity on fund allocation mechanisms and faster disbursal of central assistance for welfare initiatives. Rubio’s India visit to focus on energy, Quad talks, strategic ties ARTI BALI STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 22 May India and Cyprus on Friday elevated their bilateral relationship to the level of a strategic partnership after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held extensive talks with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides in New Delhi, signalling a major expansion Samarth and Giribala Singh in this regard and formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the death. Meanwhile, after remaining on the run for the past 10 days, Samarth Singh reached a court in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, on Friday evening to surrender, where the Jabalpur Police took him into custody. Sources said that technically Samarth Singh was required to surrender either before the Madhya Pradesh High Court or at a court or police station in Bhopal, as the case related to Twisha’s suspicious death is registered at the Katara Hills Police Station. Meanwhile, the Jabalpur Police took Samarth into custody, and soon after handed him over to a team of Bhopal Police present in Jabalpur. of cooperation in trade, investment, defence, security, technology and connectivity amid rapidly evolving geopolitical realities. The two leaders met at Hyderabad House for wide-ranging discussions covering bilateral, regional and global issues before witnessing the exchange of several key agreements and Memoranda of Understanding in areas including counterterrorism, maritime security, diplomatic training, innovation, education and culture. Addressing a joint Press conference after the talks, Prime Minister Modi described the India-Cyprus relationship as “strong and futuristic,” rooted in shared democratic values and mutual respect for sovereignty and international law. “India and Cyprus share a friendship that is both strong and futuristic. A shared belief in values such as democracy and the rule of law forms the foundation of our partnership,” Mr Modi said. In remarks carrying broader geopolitical significance, the Prime Minister reiterated India’s firm support for sovereignty and territorial US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will arrive in India on 23 May, with energy cooperation firmly at the top of the agenda, signalling a major push by Washington to deepen one of its most consequential strategic partnerships with New Delhi. “The US wants to sell as much energy as India will buy. We are at historic levels of production and export. We want to be able to do more. We were already in talks with them to do more. We want to be a bigger part of their portfolio,” Mr Rubio said in Miami before departing for Sweden ahead of his India leg. During his four-day visit, Mr Rubio will travel to Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi, with energy, trade, defence and emerging technologies forming the core agenda. With the West Asia crisis disrupting global fuel supplies and fuelling inflation across integrity in the context of ongoing global conflicts and regional tensions. “We respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. India remains fully committed to these principles and will continue to uphold them in the future,” he said. The discussions also focused heavily on pressing international crises, including the wars in Ukraine and West Asia, with both leaders emphasising dialogue and diplomacy as the pathway to peace. “Be it Ukraine or West Asia, we will continue to support efforts for the early end of conflicts and the restoration of peace,” Modi said, while stressing that growing global instability had reinforced the need for stronger international cooperation and institutional reform. Madhya Pradesh High Court orders a second post-mortem STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Bhopal, 22 May The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday ordered a second post-mortem of the remains of Twisha Sharma, who died under mysterious circumstances at her in-laws' house here, to be conducted at AIIMS Bhopal by a team of doctors from AIIMS New Delhi. Twisha’s absconding husband, criminal lawyer Samarth Singh, meanwhile withdrew his anticipatory bail application from the MP High Court on Friday. It is learnt that Samarth Quad Foreign Ministers to meet in Delhi on 26 May: New Delhi, 22 May India, Cyprus forge strategic partnership as Modi, Christodoulides push for stronger ties MP hands over Twisha Sharma case to CBI; husband surrenders STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Saturday, 23 May 2026 SPORTS SATURDAY INTERVIEW Hidden inflation | would now surrender either before a court in Bhopal or at the Katara Hills Police Station of Bhopal, where a case has been registered against him and his mother, retired judge Giribala Singh, in connection with Twisha Sharma’s suspicious death. On Thursday, Samarth had applied through his lawyer at the MP High Court’s Principal Bench in Jabalpur for an anticipatory bail. Today’s decision of the High Court has overturned the earlier order by a Bhopal court, which had declined the request of Twisha’s parents to get a second post mortem conducted on their deceased daughter’s body. The High Court has directed that the entire procedure of the second post mortem should be videographed. It is learnt that the team of doctors, which would conduct Twisha’s second post mortem, would be headed by the Director of AIIMS New Delhi. several economies, Washington sees a strategic opening to position itself as a reliable energy supplier to India. Apart from holding bilateral talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Mr Rubio will also call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Rubio also pointed to Venezuelan oil as an area of opportunity, noting that the interim president of Venezuela is expected to travel to India next week for discussions related to oil supplies. New Delhi: Amid the ongoing conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine, the foreign ministers of the Quad nations will hold a key meeting here on 26 May to discuss global issues, particularly the energy crisis. “At the invitation of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Foreign Minister of Australia Penny Wong; Foreign Minister of Japan Toshimitsu Motegi; and United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, will undertake an official visit to New Delhi to participate in the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting on 26 May 2026,” the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Friday. NCERT chapter row: Apex court recalls order blacklisting three experts PARMOD KUMAR New Delhi, 22 May The Supreme Court on Friday recalled its earlier direction effectively blacklisting three academics associated with drafting a controversial section on “corruption in judiciary” in the NCERT Class VIII textbook chapter “The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society”, while also withdrawing its observation that they had deliberately misrepresented facts. A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul Pancholi modified its 11 March order and deleted the direction asking the Union government, states, universities and educational institutions to disassociate themselves from Professor Michel Danino, Suparna Diwakar and Alok Prasanna Kumar and refrain from engaging them in academic activities. While doing so, the Court nevertheless reiterated that the contents of the textbook chapter were “wholly un- desirable and unnecessary”. The Bench noted that corrective measures had already been initiated through the constitution of an expert committee headed by a former Supreme Court judge to review the curriculum relating to the judiciary. The Court observed that, in view of the explanation furnished by the three authors, it was appropriate to recall the earlier directions and observations made against them. It clarified that governments and competent authorities would be free to take independent decisions regarding association with the experts, without being influenced by the observations contained in the 11 March order. Two Indian climbers die descending Mount Everest STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kathmandu, 22 May Two Indian mountaineers have died while descending after summitting Mount Everest, Nepal officials have said. Himal Gautam, Director of Nepal’s Department of Tourism, told news agencies that the climbers, Arun Kumar Tiwari and Sandeep Are, died as they were descending after conquering the peak of the world's tallest mountain, as per reports received from the Everest Base Camp. “The exact cause of their deaths is not yet known," Mr Gautam said. Both climbers summited Everest on 21 May and fell ill during their descent, according to the local media reports. Tiwari died near the Hillary Step, just below the summit, while being assisted by four Sherpa climbers during the descent, Nivesh Karki, Director of Pioneer Adventures, which organised their expedition, told a local news portal. Are suffered snow blindness after reaching the summit and was rescued from the South Summit. However, he died at Camp II after being brought down by Sherpa rescuers. The death toll on Everest this spring climbing season has now reached five, while the total number of fatalities in Nepal’s Himalayan mountains stands at seven, according to the tourism department.