BIHAR HAS BECOME A CENTRE OF PAPER LEAK: RAHUL 19 JANUARY 2025 ONOE DESIGNED TO MAKE MODI DICTATOR: STALIN AUSTRALIAN OPEN: SINNER BEATS GIRON, KEEPS TITLE DEFENCE ON TRACK www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 PAGE 05 PAGE 08 PAGE 12 SINCE 1818 PAGES 12 |` 5.00| LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI| SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER SMOG/SHALLOW FOG LIKELY IN THE EVENING/NIGHT. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 21 AND 10 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 97 % TEMPERATURE SUN SETS 17:50 hrs MOON SETS 10:53 hrs THUMBNAILS Rehearsal for Beating Retreat ceremony, which will take place on 29 January to mark the end of the Republic Day celebrations, is being held in New Delhi on Saturday. Subrata Dutta Gaza ceasefire to go into effect on Sunday: The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel will go into effect Sunday at 8:30 a.m. local time (0630 GMT), mediator Qatar announced Saturday, as families of hostages held in Gaza braced for news of loved ones, Palestinians prepared to receive freed detainees and humanitarian groups rushed to set up a surge of aid. The names of the first hostages to be freed were expected to be released later Saturday. (Details on Page 9) T he Additional District and Sessions Court, Sealdah, on Saturday found Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer of Kolkata Police, guilty in the brutal rape and murder of a 31year-old woman post graduate trainee doctor at the R G Kar Medical College Hospital on 9 August 2024. The quantum of punishment will be announced on Monday. Sanjay Roy was held guilty under sections 64, 66 and 103 (I) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The judge, Anirban Das, told the victim’s family counsel that the Supreme Court ~ which the family had approached with a plea for a reinvestigation in the case ~ had not issued any stay on delivery of the verdict. Reflecting the emotions that the brutal crime had provoked nation-wide, a large number of people had assembled at the court premises this afternoon amid tight security arrangements to hear the verdict pronounced. “You (Sanjay Roy) had entered the hospital, Protesters at the Sealdah Court in Kolkata on Saturday as the main accused in the RG Kar rape and murder case (right) is brought to the court for the verdict hearing. n BISWAJIT GHOSHAL attacked, raped and murdered the victim,” said the judge, adding, “You are hereby held guilty in the case.” The judge felt that the evidence produced by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was strong enough to prove Roy’s guilt. Roy could face the maximum punishment ~ death penalty ~ or the minimum, which is life imprisonment. The punishment will be announced on Monday. Upon hearing the verdict Roy shouted that he is innocent and that he had followed the instructions of ‘IPS’ officers. “Aamar golaay rudrakshmaer mala. Ei mala pore aami ei aporadh korbo? Aami okhane kichhu korle aamar mala chhinre jeto. Sir, aapni ki bujhte parchhen aamake phansano hochchhe. (“I have a garland of rudrakshma on my neck. Can I commit such crime wearing such garland? It could have been cut off if I did the crime. Sir, can you understand that I have been made a scapegoat.),” he said in courtroom 210. The judge said that he would hear Sanjay’s statements on Monday. The entire hearing that started around 2.30 pm ended within 12 minutes Partha Sarathi Dutta, the lawyer representing the CBI, told reporters that they had sought the maximum pos- Saif Ali Khan’s suspected attacker held in Chhattisgarh SHISHIR ROY CHOWDHURY RAIPUR, 18 JANUARY meticulous analysis helped trace the suspect’s location and movements. Sources revealed that the suspect’s mobile number was registered under the name Rajendra Kodepe, a resident of Dongargarh in Rajnandgaon district. A photograph shared by Mumbai Police played a crucial role in identifying Kannojya, who was subsequently arrested by the Durg RPF team. The incident unfolded at Saif Ali Khan’s Mumbai res- India, USA sign MoU on cybercrime investigations STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 18 JANUARY Days before Mr Donald Trump's inauguration as America's 47th President, India and the US signed an MoU to enhance cooperation in cybercrime investigations. The MoU was signed in Washington on Friday by Indian Ambassador of India to the US Vinay Kwatra and Ms. Kristie Canegallo, Acting US Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) in the outgoing Joe Biden administration. From India, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is responsible for execution of the MoU. From the US side, it is the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and its constituent agencies the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Homeland Security Investigations Cyber Crimes Center (C3). The MoU allows the respective agencies of the two countries to step up the level of cooperation NEW DELHI, 18 JANUARY KOLKATA, 18 JANUARY Min: .10.2 °C The Railway Protection Force (RPF) in Durg has apprehended the suspect accused of attacking Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan late Wednesday night. The alleged assailant, identified as Akash Kannojya (30), was arrested aboard the Shalimar Gyaneshwari Express, which runs from Mumbai to Kolkata. The Durg RPF identified and detained the suspect in the train’s general compartment. Mumbai Police have been informed, and their team is expected to reach Durg by evening to take the accused into custody. The arrest came after Mumbai Police employed advanced investigative techniques, including data dump analysis, to identify the attacker. Investigators collected data from mobile towers near Saif Ali Khan’s residence, focusing on devices active at the time of the incident. This TRIDIB BAPARNASH The quantum of punishment will be pronounced tomorrow SUBHENDU MAITI Min. 57 % Max: 20.7 °C (+1.1) (+2.6) SUN RISES 07:14 hrs MOON RISES 22:56 hrs Sanjay Roy found guilty Bumrah, Kuldeep figure in Champions Trophy squad of RG Kar rape & murder The MoU allows the agencies of the two countries to step up the level of cooperation and training with respect to the use of cyberthreat intelligence and digital forensics in criminal investigations. and training with respect to the use of cyber threat intelligence and digital forensics in criminal investigations. Cybercrime has intricate linkages with the common security challenges faced by India and the US, such as terrorism and violent extremism, terror financing, drug trafficking, organised crime, human trafficking, illegal migration, money laundering and transportation security. “The MoU on Cybercrime Investigations will enable further strengthening of IndiaUS security cooperation, as part of our comprehensive and global strategic partnership,'' the MEA said. idence on Wednesday night. The intruder had reportedly entered the house several hours earlier. When Saif’s housemaid spotted the intruder and raised an alarm, the actor intervened to handle the situation. However, the attacker retaliated violently, stabbing the actor six times with a knife. A 2.5-inch blade fragment had to be surgically removed from the actor’s spine. Despite the seriousness of the injuries, his condition is now stable, and he is recovering under medical care. The state Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai commended the RPF team in Durg for their prompt action, stating, “The Durg RPF has successfully apprehended a suspect. The Mumbai Police have been informed, and the accused will soon be handed over to them.” The suspect’s arrest has been hailed as a significant breakthrough, thanks to the collaborative efforts of Mumbai Police and the Durg RPF. The use of cutting-edge technology played a pivotal role in ensuring rapid progress in the investigation. Mumbai Police are expected to interrogate the suspect further after taking him into custody later tonight. This case has raised critical questions about the safety of highprofile individuals and the need for enhanced security measures. sible punishment for Sanjay Roy. The parents of the victim, who broke down after hearing the verdict, said they have crossed the first hurdle. “We want maximum punishment for him and at the same time all other culprits involved in the case must be given the same treatment like Sanjay Roy. It’s not possible for him to have done the crime alone. There are many others who are also a part of the larger conspiracy. We hope, the court will give us justice.” The parents continue to insist that the investigation is only half-done as others involved in the crime are roaming free. Jasprit Bumrah (right) and Kuldeep Yadav (far right) have been included in India’s provisional 15-man squad for the ICC Champions Trophy, starting 19 February in Pakistan and the UAE. The same squad will take on England in three ODIs in early February, with Harshit Rana coming in as a back-up for Bumrah, who may not be ready for the first two matches of the bilateral series. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar stated that the team management will keep an eye on Bumrah’s fitness in the lead-up to the tournament. There were injury concerns over both Bumrah and Kuldeep ahead of the selection on Saturday, with Kuldeep not having played any competitive cricket since his hernia surgery in November, while Bumrah had suffered a stress-related injury during the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney. The only notable omission from the Rohit Sharma-led squad is pacer Mohammed Siraj, who was replaced by left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh, rewarded for ending as the highest wicket-taker in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and his impressive performances in international cricket ~ he was the top wicket-taker in India's ODI series in South Africa in 2023. Shubman Gill has been named vice-captain of the ODI side which also includes the in-form Yashasvi Jaiswal for the first time in his career. He is likely to be the reserve opener for the Champions Trophy that India will be aiming to win for a third time after emerging victorious in the 2002 and 2013 editions. Mohammed Shami, who was recently picked for the preceding T20I series against England, starting 22 January, following a long injury layoff, was also named in the Champions Trophy squad. He last played international cricket in the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he was the tournament's highest wicket-taker with 24 wickets. With Virat Kohli set to taketheNo.3place,themiddle order presents a similar look as the 2023 ODI World Cup side, with Shreyas Iyer and KLRahulretainingtheirspots, alongwithall-rounderHardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and AxarPatel.WashingtonSundar isthefourthall-rounderpicked in the squad. PM distributes 65 lakh property cards under SVAMITVA scheme to property owners in over 50,000 villages STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 18 JANUARY Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday distributed over 65 lakh property cards under the SVAMITVA Scheme to property owners in over 50,000 villages in more than 230 districts across ten States and 2 Union territories, saying his government is earnestly working to implement Gram Swaraj on the ground. Speaking at the virtual launch of the scheme, he noted: “Today is a very historic day for the villages of the country and for the rural economy of the country. Governors of many states have joined this programme. “Chief Ministers of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, UP, Maharashtra and Gujarat have also joined us...All the colleagues associated with thousands of Gram Panchayats, lakhs of beneficiaries of the ownership scheme. This is such a wide and huge programme in itself and you all have joined with great enthusiasm. I congratulate all of you.” Earlier, in the morning PM Modi took to X (formerly Twitter), and posted a tweet which explained about the SVAMITVA scheme. According to the details, the SVAMITVA Scheme will provide a 'Record of Rights' to households owning houses in inhabited areas in villages through the latest drone technology for surveying, as reported by India TV. This will bring transparency, accessibility, and empow- erment to rural communities by helping to reduce land disputes and improve land management, making it easier for rural citizens to claim ownership and rights. Remarking that the 21st century presents numerous challenges, including climate change, water scarcity, health crises, and pandemics, the Prime Minister highlighted that another significant challenge the world faces is property rights and the lack of legal property documents. The Prime Minister cited a United Nations study that revealed many people in various countries do not have proper legal documents for their property. He added that the UN emphasized that reducing poverty requires people to have property rights. The Prime Minister also mentioned a renowned economist who wrote a book on the challenge of property rights, stating that the small amount of property owned by villagers is often “dead capital.” He added that this means that the property cannot be used for transactions, and it does not help increase the family’s income. Mr Modi remarked that India was not immune to the global challenge of property rights. He noted that despite having property worth millions of crores, villagers often lacked legal documents, leading to disputes and even illegal occupation by powerful individuals. He added that without legal documents, banks also kept their distance from such properties. India, China ties trying to disentangle complications of stand-off, says EAM BJP attacked Kejriwal’s car, says AAP; Parvesh Verma counters claim STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 18 JANUARY External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said the relationship between India and China is currently trying to disentangle itself from the complications arising from the post-2020 border situation in the wake of the prolonged military stand-off between the two countries in eastern Ladakh. “More thought needs to be given to the long-term evolution of our ties. India has to prepare for expressions of China's growing capabilities, particularly those that impinge directly on our interests,” he said, addressing an event in Mumbai. The minister was of the view that a more rapid development of India's comprehensive national power is necessary. “This is not just about correcting the earlier neglect of the border infrastructure and the oceanic periphery, but also mitigating dependence on sensitive domains.” He said India's approach vis-a-vis China can be summed up in three mutuals: mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest. Mr Jaishankar said the emergence of a multipolar Asia is an essential prerequisite for a multipolar world. On India's ties with Russia, the minister said Moscow has long held importance for India's foreign policy. Despite all the ups and downs that the world has seen since 1945, this is one relationship that has largely held steady. ''For decades, Russia has had a salience in India's national security calculus. As Russia is redirecting its attention towards Asia, there is a further logic that is emerging. Deeper economic cooperation between India and Russia has a stabilising consequence for the global economy. The connectivity potential of the collaboration also holds great promise,'' he said. The minister said India's expanding footprint will inevitably meet Russia's influence in many regions. Like the rest of the world, India is not impervious to the implications of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. New Delhi has been a persistent advocate of dialogue and diplomacy and is convinced that a solution cannot emerge from the battlefield, he added. Regarding India’s neighbourhood, he said India's challenge has been to rebuild a neighbourhood in the aftermath of the partition. It is doing so through a generous and non-reciprocal approach, funding and supporting energy, rail and road connectivity. “Expanding trade and investment and intensifying exchanges and contacts. In times of crisis, India has served as an insurance for its smaller neighbours. Sri Lanka discovered that in 2023 when India put together a package of more than $ 4 billion,” he added. NEW DELHI, 18 JANUARY Levelling allegations against each other amid a tense poll atmosphere, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday alleged that its national convener Arvind Kejriwal's car was allegedly attacked with stones during an election campaign, while BJP leader Parvesh Verma charged that three young individuals, residents of New Delhi area ,were allegedly hit by the AAP chief's vehicle as they tried to approach him during his door-to-door campaign for the polls. The alleged incidents have sparked a war of words between the two parties as they blame each other and their leaders for playing such unfair politics. Addressing a press conference here, AAP's chief national spokesperson, Priyanka Kakkar, on Saturday claimed that the video regarding the incident is out on social media and available in public domain regarding the incident of Kejriwal's car being allegedly attacked.In the video that surfaced on social media, AAP claims that a stone could be seen thrown at Kejriwal's car. She alleged that BJP candidate from New Delhi seat Parvesh Verma, while campaigning would have got rattled to witness massive support for Kejriwal on ground, and due to this frustration, he and his party have attacked AAP chief through their" goons." Kakkar said that the alleged attack on AAP chief is highly condemnable , and claimed that someone wants to disturb the peaceful polls in the constituency.