FRIDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2024 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Pages 12 |` 5.00 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR INDIA STRENGTHENS DEFENCE TIES WITH USA, S KOREA, AUSTRALIA, NZ PUTIN PLAYS WITH FIRE IN HIS NEW DOCTRINE P7 SENSEX 77,155.79q422.59 WEATHER Generally clear. Hazy in the evening. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 29°C and 19°C respectively. P5 NIFTY 23,349.90q168.60 ` vs $ 84.50 USA indicts Gautam Adani for $265 mn bribery scheme TEMPERATURE Max: 29.8˚C SUN RISES 05:53 hrs MOON RISES 23:04 hrs G Min: 19.1˚C SUN SETS 16:51 hrs MOON SETS 11:39 hrs New Moon on 1 December THUMBNAILS Sadhus take part in the Nager Pravesh Procession of Panch Dasnam Avahan Akhara ahead of Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.n ANI Russia fires missiles at Ukraine after Kyiv's first use of long-range American missiles inside Russia: Ukraine says Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile overnight targeting Dnipro city in the central-east of the country, which, if confirmed, would be the first time Moscow has used such a missile in the war. In a statement Thursday on the Telegram messaging app, Ukraine’s air force did not specify the exact type of missile, but said it was launched from Russia's Astrakhan region, which borders the Caspian Sea. (Page 9) autam Adani, head of India's Adani Group, his nephew Sagar Adani and six others face charges in the United States in a multibillion-dollar bribery and fraud scheme. Prosecutors announced the charges on Wednesday, alleging that the group bribed Indian officials to secure solar energy contracts. The Adani Group has rejected the charges as baseless, and said all possible legal recourse will be sought. According to the case made out by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Gautam Adani has been charged with allegedly “defrauding American investors and bribing officials”. Mr Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, 30, executives of Adani Green Energy, and Cyril Cabanes, an executive of Azure Power Global Ltd were charged with “conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud, as well as substantive securities fraud, for their roles in a multibillion-dollar scheme to obtain funds from US investors and global financial institutions through false and misleading statements”. The indictment says Gautam Adani and the others paid approximately USD 265 million in bribes. They expected these contracts to generate USD 2 billion in profit over two decades. The SEC alleged that the incident occurred during a September 2021 offering by Adani Green that raised $750 million, including $175 million from US investors. The offering materials falsely claimed anti-corruption efforts, deceiving US investors. The charges against the Adanis include AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 21 NOVEMBER After a US District Court in New York charged the Chairman of the Adani Group, Gautam Adani, linking him and others to an alleged bribery and fraud scheme, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Thursday that it vindicated the demand that the Congress was making for a Joint Parliamentary Committee investigation into the various alleged scams. In a post on X, Jairam said: “The indictment of Gautam Adani and others The SEC's actions also cast a poor light on the manner in which its Indian counterpart, “namely SEBI”, has gone about probing alleged violations of securities and other laws by Adani Group, Ramesh said. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 21 NOVEMBER PM Modi receives highest honours from Guyana and Dominica STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 21 NOVEMBER shared past experiences, present day needs and aspirations for the future, he said India is totally committed to taking these ties to new heights. ''In all our efforts, we have focused on the concerns of the Global south, and its priorities,'' he added. He pointed out that under India’s presidency, last year, the G20 emerged as the voice of the Global South. Mr Modi said the decisions taken by India and CARICOM countries at the summit will add new dimensions to their cooperation in every sector. The India-CARICOM Joint Commission and Joint Working Groups will have an important role to play in implementing them, he added. The PM said the ''Seven Key Pillars'' packed into the CARICOM's name could transfer resources and expertise from India to the Caribbean. Dominica and Guyana presented their highest national awards to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday for his statesmanship and for his support during the pandemic. In State House at Georgetown in Guyana, Dominica President Sylvanie Burton conferred “Dominica Award of Honour” on PM Modi while Guyana President Mohamed Irfaan Ali conferred upon Mr Modi "The Order of Excellence.” by the Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC) of the US vindicates the demand that the Indian National Congress has been making since Jan 2023 for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the various Modani scams. The INC had asked a hun- Kenya cancels Adani Group projects: The Kenya government on Thursday cancelled the procurement process for the expansion of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, which was to have been handled by the Adani Group, as well as a $736million public-private partnership deal signed with a unit of the Adani Group last month to construct power transmission lines. TRIDIB BAPARNASH NEW DELHI, 21 NOVEMBER Zealand, India will look to take confidence from their adventures of the previous tour Down Under, especially after breaching the Gabbatoir despite the absence of a star cast. That triumph not only ended Australia’s 32-year hegemony in Brisbane, but also injected confidence in the young brigade under Ajinkya Rahane, and more recently Test laggards West Indies earlier this year, to play to the situation rather than solely relying on the big names. Ahead of the 2024-25 series opener in Perth, the absence of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill could perhaps feed into the recent template of overcoming adversity Down Under. A lot will thus ride on the shoulders of the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel to set the tone. However, a key takeaway from India’s previous tour would be that setting the tone can’t be the be-all and end-all story of a long series, especially after the visitors bounced back strongly from the ignominy of being bundled out for 36 in the first Test at Adelaide. But one can’t bank on past laurels with the hope of scripting history, as India have recorded mere nine wins in 52 Tests played in the country. And interestingly, six of those nine came in the past two tours ~ 2018-19 and 2020-21. There is no denying that some of the stalwarts of the current Indian set-up are in the twilight of their careers. A tour of Australia can make or break careers ~ among the current lot Virat Kohli was crowned as ‘King Kohli’ after his four centuries during the tour of 2014-15, while Mohammed Shami, Cheteshwar Pujara and dred questions in its Hum Adani ke Hain (HAHK) series bringing out the various dimensions of these scams and of the intimate nexus that has existed between the PM and his favourite businessman. These questions have remained unanswered." BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 74.20p1.39 CM Mamata warns cops, admin officials against taking bribes STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 21 NOVEMBER: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee today issued a stern warning against certain sections of the police and civil administration, saying that they are taking bribes and the blame is falling on Trinamul Congress leaders. Miss Banerjee, who was addressing a Press conference at Nabanna Sabhaghar on Thursday, linked this to the rising prices of essential commodities in the state, particularly of potatoes. “Increasing potato prices in Bengal to make profits elsewhere, while I arrange insurance for farmers, cannot go hand in hand. I will not tolerate this,” Miss Banerjee said. She has also directed a task force meeting to be called immediately to address the hike in potato and onion prices. Additionally, she has ordered the sealing of borders to prevent the outflow of potatoes. Miss Banerjee remarked: “We are self-sufficient in potato production. Yet, why are the people of our state paying inflated prices? I had no objection to selling surplus potatoes after meeting Bengal’s needs. But what did I see? Attempts to raise prices in Bengal and profit by sending potatoes to other states! This is unacceptable.” Miss Banerjee also criticized lower-level police personnel over allegations of accepting bribes to facilitate ‘Even Ajmal Kasab was given a fair trial,’ Supreme Court says in Yasin Malik case PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 21 NOVEMBER Stating that the Jammu & Kashmir separatist leader Yasin Malik ~ undergoing a life sentence in Delhi’s Tihar Central Jail ~ was entitled to a fair trial in the case relating to the 1989 kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of late Union minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the Supreme Court on Thursday cited the instance of 26 November 2008 Mumbai attack convict Ajmal Kasab being provided with legal assistance and given a fair trial. Observing that in our country, ‘a fair trial was given even to Ajmal Kasab’ and legal assistance was given to him right up to the Supreme Court, A bench comprising Justice Abhay S. Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih on BGT 2024-25: India, Aus set to renew rivalry in Perth with one eye on WTC final As riveting as it is, a Test series between India and Australia can be best summarised by a simple oneliner ~ apprentices turning master, boys becoming men, and some nastiness! The stage is set for another epic battle when the two cricketing powerhouses face off in the opener of the fiveTest rubber at the Optus Stadium in Perth from Friday. Keeping aside the mindgames, expert predictions, and discussions on forms of players of either side, the two teams will focus on the real action that could eventually decide at least one of the finalists of the next World Test Championship Final at Lord’s in June 2025. Thus, the stakes are high for the WTC 2023 finalists, currently occupying the top two places in the WTC standings. Reeling from a recent bitter home debacle against New It said that the Adani Group has always upheld and steadfastly committed to maintaining the highest standards of governance, transparency, and regulatory compliances across all jursidictions of its operations. “We assure our stakeholders, partners and employees that we are a law-abiding organisation, fully compliant with all laws,” the statement read. Congress renews push for Joint Parliamentary Committee PM calls for reforms in global institutions Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called for reforms in global institutions, saying they must reflect the present day world order. Addressing the India-CARICOM Summit in Guyana, he called upon the global community to give priority to the countries of the Global South. ''I am pleased that India and all our CARICOM friends agree that reforms are necessary in global institutions. They need to mould themselves to today’s world and to today’s society. This is the need of the hour. In order to make this a reality, close cooperation with CARICOM and CARICOM's support are very important,'' the Indian leader said. Noting that relations between India and CARICOM countries are based on their violations of the anti-fraud provisionsoffederalsecurities laws. The SEC is seeking permanent injunctions, civil penalties, and bans on them serving as officers or directors of public companies. The indictment also alleges Mr Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani,andanotherexecutive, Vneet Jaain, hid the bribery from lenders and investors to secure over USD 3 billion in loans and bonds for Adani Green Energy. As per reports, arrest warrants have been issued for Gautam Adani and Sagar Adani. Rejecting the bribery allegations, the Adani Group in a statement said: “As stated by the US Department of Justice itself, the charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.” “All possible legal recourse will be sought,” it added. P12 SILVER 1,01,000 GOLD 79,120.00 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 21 NOVEMBER Min. 54% BUMRAH OPENS UP ON TEST CAPTAINCY AMBITIONS P10 The Adani Group rejected the charges as baseless, said it will pursue all possible legal recourse RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 72% ‘STABLE INFLATION BEDROCK FOR SUSTAINED GROWTH’ Rishabh Pant attained stardom after successful trips to the country. As such, heading into the opener in the absence of Rohit and Shubman, India will have a rejigged batting order, with Jaiswal pairing up with a new opening partner, which could see an underfire KL Rahul return to the spot he has batted at for the bulk of his stop-start career, or prolific domestic run accumulator Abhimanyu Easwaran handed a debut cap despite a string of poor scores against Australia ‘A’. Meanwhile, Dhruv Jurel, who scored 80 and 68 in the second game against Australia ‘A’ and showcased his affinity for playing on bouncy tracks, could fill in for Gill at No. 3. Nitish Kumar Reddy could also earn a Test cap after earning the faith of the team management, with bowling coach Morne Morkel backing the Hyderabadi seam-bowling all-rounder as the “one to look after during the series”. Thursday indicated that for the conduct of the trial in the Rubaiya Sayeed kidnapping case, involving the crossexamination of prosecution witnesses, it may set up a courtroom inside the Tihar Jail. The top court said this while hearing a CBI plea against the 20 September 2022 order of a Jammu trial court that had directed Malik to be produced before it physically to cross-examine the prosecution witnesses in the Rubaiya Sayeed kidnapping case. Questioning the feasibility of virtual cross-examination of prosecution witnesses’ given the poor internet connectivity in Jammu, the bench hinted at setting up of a courtroom in the Tihar Jail itself for the conduct of trial. The bench remarked: “How will cross-examination be done online? There is hardly any connectivity in Jammu... In our country, a fair trial was given even to Ajmal Kasab and legal assistance was given to him in the high court.” In the course of the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI, suggested conducting the trial inside Tihar Jail with the judge of the Jammu court travelling to Delhi, to which the Supreme Court bench responded favourably. potato exports beyond permissible limits. Addressing Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar directly, Miss Banerjee said: “You may be doing your best, but sorry to say, some lowerlevel police officers are accepting bribes to help send potatoes outside Bengal. This won’t be tolerated.” The CM added: “Politicians may steal Rs 5 and be accused of stealing Rs 500. At least politicians think twice before acting. But some lower-level workers and police personnel, who have no loyalty to the government, only look after their own interests.” The Press meet was attended by state ministers Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, Pradip Mazumdar, and Becharam Manna. The responsibility of the Agro-Marketing Department, previously under Omkar Minar, was handed over to Becharam Manna. The Chief Minister instructed weekly checks on stock levels. (Details on Page 3) Opposition seeks extension of duration of parl panel on Waqf Bill STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 21 NOVEMBER The Joint Parliamentary Committee on Thursday held a stormy meeting on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill at which Opposition members demanded the extension of the duration of the highpowered panel. Briefing reporters after the meeting, JPC chairman Jagdambika Pal admitted that the Opposition wanted the extension of the deadline for submitting the report to Parliament. ''It is the prerogative of Parliament and the Speaker...our (draft) report is ready,'' he said. Mr Pal said the JPC had called the Ministry of Minority Affairs today for discussions on the bill. Negotiations reach final stage at COP29, consensus on climate finance still elusive SNEHASIS SUR BAKU, 21 NOVEMBER: UN secretary general Antorio Gueterres called upon negotiators at the UN climate summit at Baku to move from their initial positions to find a balance for reaching a new ambitious financial goal to fund climate action. The UN secretary general said this on Thursday at the UN climate conference in Baku, where he reached straight from the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro. The climate negotiators are now busy in giving the final shape to the draft of the finance document to be adopted at the UN climate conference, COP29. Addressing a press conference at Baku on Thursday, the UN secretary general said: “Many substantial differences are still remaining. Success is not guaranteed yet. A push is required to reach consensus and failure is no option”. At the UN Climate summit the representatives of the developing countries are pressing for enhanced funding commitments by the developed countries, as they have polluted the world in the name of rapid industrialisation. On the other hand, developed countries are proposing for different new sources and contributors of finance like corporate, voluntary and philanthropic ones, other than public finance. This is for the first time in the COP that a separate document known as New Collective Quantified Goal for Climate Finance (NCQG), is proposed to be adopted, which will give an integrated and comprehensive idea of the agreed quantum of fund including its sources in a single document. Earlier, funds for adaptation, mitigation and that for loss of damage used to be mentioned separately. Though hectic efforts are still on at the last moment to arrive at a consensus figure of the final amount, a sum of 1 trillion US dollar per year was pitched from different stake holders even before the conference. The Stern Report, which came out during COP29 and is widely considered as the base paper for the negotiations, has also given this figure but indicated that almost half of it should come from the private sectors and banks.