FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session | India’s National Newspaper since 1818 Pages 14 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA LC | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI | Tuesday, 22 September 2026 SPORTS BUSINESS NATION India-New Zealand FTA to come into force on October 20: Piyush Goyal Kharge questions ECI’s VIP voters calls SIR ‘Frankenstein monster’ Page 10 WORLD Trump weighs Iran options, asks ‘if and when’ to strike Page 5 BRIEFLY Adv Singhvi to fight for Tata Trusts, Harish Salve to defend Tata Sons: Mumbai: Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata has hired senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi to helm the fight on its behalf, while senior lawyer Harish Salve is slated to defend the position taken by the Tata Group holding company Tata Sons regarding the reappointment of its Executive Chairman N Chandrasekaran, sources stated here on Monday. All constituents under the Tata Trusts umbrella collectively own a 66 per cent majority stake in holding company Tata Sons, which reappointed N Chandrasekaran for a third term on 17 September, though Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata wanted him to step down and sought to ensure Tata Sons remains a private company, unlisted on any stock exchange. Page 12 IIT Bombay faculty backs prof amid student protests STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Mumbai, 21 September T he Faculty Forum of IIT Bombay has expressed solidarity with Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who is at the centre of a controversy involving BTech student Sahil Wakode, who allegedly committed suicide. At around 4.30 p.m. on Monday evening, members of the Faculty Forum of IIT Bombay held a campus march in support of Doolla, who has been named as an accused in the police FIR, after Sahil Wakode’s father filed a police complaint, alleging that his son was subjected to casteist harassment. Based on the complaint, the Powai police registered an FIR under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), pertaining to abetment of suicide, along with provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The Mumbai Police transferred the case to the Crime Branch on Saturday night, and officials said the professor and others are likely to be questioned as part of the investigation. The Faculty Forum of IIT Bombay also issued a press release defending Doolla and disputing reports that he has been suspended from IIT Bombay. “The Faculty Forum of IIT Bombay stands strongly with our colleague Professor Suryanarayana Doolla. We would like to clarify that contrary to several reports in the media, Professor Suryanarayana Doolla has not been suspended from his service in IIT Bombay, and continues to be a member of the faculty of the institute in good standing. We are given to understand that he has been temporarily relieved from his duties as Dean (Administrative Affairs) of the institute, to enable independent and unbiased investigation of the unfortunate incident on 18 September 2026, the Forum stated. “We are distressed by the vilification of our colleague’s reputation by false and misleading reports that have appeared in the media,” according to the press release issued by the Faculty Forum of IIT Bombay. The press release was issued in the name of Forum President Professor Rajkumar S Pant.. Meanwhile, IIT Bombay administration tweeted an official statement on its X handle Monday stating, “We apologise for the statements contained in our earlier communication concerning the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate demise of Sahil. The details and circumstances leading up to the incident remain subject to investigation by the appropriate authorities. In view of the ongoing investigation, it was inappropriate to have set out or characterised details relating to the events preceding his demise before they had been duly established through the appropriate investigative process”. Asian Games cricket: India seek continental dominance, Sri Lanka aim for final upset Page 14 CM Suvendu meets Ambani, seeks major investment in state Jamui incident sparks outcry over women’s safety in Bihar ANSARI AEJAZ AHMED Patna, 21 September Mumbai, 21 September West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari met Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani in Mumbai on Monday and discussed the possibility of fresh investments and expansion of existing business activities in West Bengal. A senior spokesperson of the Reliance Group confirmed the meeting, saying the West Bengal government conveyed its keen interest in attracting investments from major corporate groups and creating an environment conducive to expansion of industrial activities in the state. The meeting between Adhikari and Ambani was held at the latter's residence, Antilia, and lasted for nearly an hour. The details of the discussions were not immediately available, but sources said investment opportunities in West Bengal and the scope for expanding Reliance's presence in the state figured prominently during the interaction. According to the sources, Ambani expressed openness to exploring investment opportunities in West Bengal. The meeting is being seen as part of the state government's efforts to engage directly with leading industrialists and encourage large corporate groups to participate in the state's economic and industrial development. Adhikari was also reported to have met Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani during his Mumbai visit. The meeting, however, could not be independently confirmed immediately. The meetings were reportedly kept low-profile, with even some Mumbai-based BJP leaders involved in protocol arrangements not being aware of the Chief Minister's schedule, sources said. IMRAN MOJIB A video showing a minor girl and her fellow Class 10 student b eing stopp e d, harassed and assaulted on a road in Jamui has triggered widespread outrage across Bihar, prompting police to arrest three people and launch a wider investigation into the incident . The main accused, however, remains at large, while five people have so far been identified in connection with the case. Jamui SP Vishwajeet Dayal said the incident occurred on 19 September. The police contacted the victim’s family and registered an FIR under the POCSO Act. The three arrested accused~ Mithilesh Kumar, Pramod Kumar and Golu Kumar, reportedly aged between 25 and 26 ~ are being questioned while police examine other aspects of the incident as par t of the ongoing investigation.