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 LC | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI ‘Westminster’s time is coming to an end’ In position to form govt in 9 out of 10 MCs in Raj: BJP Page 5 Page 9 China scales down PLA deployment along LAC PARWINDER SANDHU New Delhi, 14 September C hina significantly reduced the deployment of its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) forces along India’s northern borders during 2025, even as the Indian Army maintained a “robust” posture across all sectors of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), while Pakistan continued to pose a major security challenge through terrorism, infiltration and ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir, according to the Ministry of Defence’s Annual Report 2025-26. The report said there was a “significant reduction in deployment of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Forces opposite Northern Borders”, with forces equivalent to about 10 Combined Arms Brigades deployed in areas along the LAC and Zverev beats Shelton to win his first US Open NATION Wholesale Inflation hits 9.92 per cent in August Page 10 Tuesday, 15 September 2026 SPORTS WORLD BUSINESS | traditional training areas. Despite the drawdown, the Indian Army remained “robust, well poised and prepared to deal with any emerging contingency”, underscoring that the reduction in Chinese deployment has not led New Delhi to lower its operational preparedness. The report said sustained political, diplomatic and military engagements with China during the year facilitated “positive developments along the Northern Borders, leading to stability”. The 33rd and 34th meetings of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination were held in March and July 2025, while talks between the Special Representatives on the boundary question resumed, with rounds held in December 2024 and August 2025. The easing of tensions was also reflected in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin in August 2025 and the 23rd Corps Commander Level Meeting in Eastern Ladakh on October 25-26. Border Personnel Meetings with the PLA also continued in a “cordial and friendly environment”, the report said. The northern border situation has remained among India’s most sensitive security theatres since the 2020 military standoff in eastern Ladakh, which triggered sustained troop deployments and a major build-up of military infrastructure on both sides. The latest assessment indicates that while the immediate military posture has eased, the Indian Army continues to maintain substantial preparedness against any renewed contingency along the LAC. On the western front, however, the Army’s assessment remains considerably more pointed, directly identifying Pakistan as a key driver of the continuing security challenge in Jammu and Kashmir. The report said 19 terrorists were neutralised in counter-terror operations in J&K during 2025, including eight Pakistani terrorists, accounting for around 40 per cent of the total. “The figure clearly indicates role of Pakistan in waging proxy war in the UT of J&K,” the report said, explicitly linking the presence of Pakistani terroriststoIslamabad’scontinuing proxy campaign. The Pakistani role was further evident along the Line of Control, where the Army recorded six infiltration attempts during 2025 and neutralised 12 Pakistani terrorists attempting to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir. While infiltration attempts declined from previous years, the report said the threat was evolving, with terrorist activities increasingly shifting towards the International Border and involving narcotics and “war like stores”. Page 12 CBI FIR names Uddhav, Aaditya Thackeray in Disha Salian murder case STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Mumbai, 14 September The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered an FIR on Monday in connection with the death of Disha Salian, the former manager of the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, naming former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aaditya Thackeray among others in the case. Disha Salian died on 8 June, 2020 after purportedly falling from a residential building in the Malad area here. The Mumbai Police registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) in the case, claiming that her death was a suicide. Six days after Salian’s death, actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Bandra residence on June 14, 2020, triggering widespread speculation about a possible link, although the cases were investigated separately. The CBI registered an FIR a couple of weeks after the Bombay High Court ordered it to take over the case from the Mumbai Police. The case has been registered under sections pertaining to murder, gang rape, criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence as well as providing false information. The CBI investigation has political ramifications and is expected to benefit the Fadnavis government. The CBI FIR also named former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, several police officers associated with the Malvani Police Station in Malad, doctors and staff involved in the post-mortem conducted on Disha Salian, officials of the Forensic Science Laboratory in Kalina, security guards of the Regent Galaxy Building where the incident took place, members of the Mumbai police Special Investigation Team (SIT) and other unidentified persons. The FIR accuses Uddhav Thackeray of playing a role in the cover-up of the case. “The then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, father of Aaditya Thackeray, and others played a significant role in the conspiracy and subsequent cover-up. The concerned public servants and police officers are also liable to be investigated for destruction or suppression of case papers, files and other public records, fabrication of official records, and misuse of public funds, manpower and police machinery for unlawful purposes and for shielding the offenders,” the CBI FIR states. It also mentions that Shiv Sena MLA Aaditya Thackeray, Dino Morea, Sooraj Pancholi, Rhea Chakraborty, the doctors, and the staff concerned with the delayed post-mortem are among “people whose roles require investigation”.