DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2024, NEW DELHI, LATE CITY, 20 PAGES `7.00 (`8 BIHAR & RAIPUR, `12 SRINAGAR) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 ARRESTED ON DECEMBER 18, 2023, VIKASH YADAV GOT BAIL ON APRIL 22 Weeks after US called him key conspirator in Pannun murder bid, Delhi Police arrested Vikash Yadav in local extortion case MAHENDER SINGH MANRAL NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 18 LESS THAN three weeks after he was mentioned by US Departmentof Justice(DoJ)documents as “CC-1” (co-conspirator)lastNovember,VikashYadav, the man accused of plotting to kill pro-Khalistan separatist figure Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, wasarrestedinanextortioncase by the Delhi Police Special Cell, The Indian Express has learnt. After four months in Tihar, Yadav was released on bail in April this year, records show. On Friday, Yadav was named by the DoJ and charged with “murder-for-hire” and money launderingintheallegedPannun murderplot.(Seeadjacentstory.) Responding to a question on BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY BIG PICTURE PAGE 9 Lawrence & Co Tracing the gangster’s criminal enterprise, trusted lieutenants CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 US prosecutors name Yadav, FBI puts him on Wanted list, arrest warrant out SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 18 FOR THE first time since the US accused an unnamed “Indian official,” CC-1, of allegedly trying to kill pro-Khalistan separatist figure and lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, US federal prosecutors have named Vikash Yadav as the intelligence official MOHAMED THAVER AVANEESH MISHRA MUMBAI, OCTOBER 18 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 DEHRADUN, OCTOBER 18 Actor Shraddha Kapoor, ixigo’s Suresh Bhutani, The Indian Express Entertainment Editor Jyoti Sharma Bawa and The Indian Express Group Executive Director Anant Goenka at the relaunch of Screen in Mumbai on Friday. Sankhadeep Banerjee Grew up reading Screen, now on its cover: Shraddha Kapoor at magazine unveiling EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE MUMBAI, OCTOBER 18 THE WORLD HEZBOLLAH AND ISRAEL VOW ESCALATION, MORE FORCES ENTER GAZA OBAMAS SET TO HIT CAMPAIGN TRAIL WITH HARRIS PAGE 14 “IT WAS the magazine we read growing up, so this moment is extremelyspecial.Thisfeelspersonal, because the little girl is now on the cover,” said actor Shraddha Kapoor as she unveiled the cover of Screen, The Indian Express’s iconic film magazine, in Mumbai on Friday. Shraddha is the face of the first digital cover of Screen, the magazine which has been the leadingvoiceof Indianentertainment since 1951 and which was relaunched at a glittering function attended by eminent personalities from all walks of life. Amitabh Bachchan, who could not be present, sent a virtual message in which he recounted his memories of Screen and said how the magazine avoided any kind of sensationalism. “There was no gossip about film stars. There was just information about films and just some very good writing about the film industry,” he said. It’s a legacy that the magazine aims to continue. Screen returns to The Indian Express group after 11 years. Anant Goenka, Executive Director, The Indian Express Group, said the magazine,initsdigitalavatar,willcontinue with its “credible journalism” which has been the authentic voice of the industry over the years. THE UNIFORM Civil Code in Uttarakhand could be implemented as early as November 9, sources said, as the committee formed to draw up rules for the implementation of the UCC submitteditsreporttothestategovernment on Friday. The draft rules submitted to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami by the Rules and Implementation Committee detail procedures for various matters,includingtheregistrationof marriages, divorces, live-in relationships, births and deaths, as well as rules of succession. The Uttarakhand Assembly had passed the UCC Bill in February,anditbecamealawafteritgotthePresident’sapproval in March. This made Uttarakhand the first state in the country to pass such legislation. With the report on the rules for implementation of the UCC now submitted, the state government is expected to soon make a decision on the date for the implementation. Sources said the government could pick November 9, when the state marks its 24th Foundation Day. CM Dhami said Friday that CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 GOVT & POLITICS MVA TALKS HIT A STALEMATE, UDDHAV SENA WANTS CONG’S PATOLE KEPT OUT JHARKHAND POLLS: BJP ANNOUNCES SEAT-SHARING DEAL PAGE 5 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 RBI Governor: Rate cut at this stage All eyes on Modi, Xi at BRICS summit will be very premature, very risky as Delhi and Beijing announce visits HITESH VYAS MUMBAI, OCTOBER 18 ATAtimewhenconsumerpricebased inflation (CPI) is expected to remain above 5 per cent, and growth holding on, a cut in the interest rate would be “premature, and very risky”, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das said Friday. PAGE 1 ANCHOR ployee VIKASH Yadav, a/k/a “Vikas,” a/k/a “Amanat,” in connection with his role in directing a foiled plot to assassinate a U.S. citizen in New York City”, said a statement from the US Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York. It said that the charges are contained in a second superseding indictment unsealed Friday CONTINUEDONPAGE2 E Its fallout, and likely ● pressure WITH FBI naming Vikash Yadav and putting him on its wanted list, pressure will likely mount on India for his extradition. It is to be seen how it navigates the situation, which has the potential to lead to another diplomatic row. Uttarakhand may bring in UCC by Nov 9; panel submits draft to CM Five who helped Siddique killers held, probe says they first got contract to kill MUMBAIPOLICE’Scrimebranch Fridayarrestedfivepersonswho it claimed were initially meant to carry out the hit job on NCP leader Baba Siddique but opted outfollowingdisagreementover their demand of around Rs 50 lakh to carry out the murder. Although the gang of five led by Nitin Sapre (32) pulled out of the hit job, they allegedly provided logistical support, including firearm delivery, to the three shooterswhoactuallycarriedout theattackonSiddique,policesaid. The three assailants opened fire on Siddique, a former Maharashtraminister,onOctober 12 as he was leaving his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Mumbai’sBandraarea.Hediedof his bullet wounds in hospital. With the latest arrests, the number of those arrested in the case has gone up to nine. An officer said that based on their probe so far, it has come to light that the wanted accused, and charged him with “murderfor-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and money laundering.” This comes almost 11 months after the first US indictment uncovering the alleged plot. On Friday, US prosecutors in New York announced the “filing of murder-for-hire and money laundering charges against Indian government em- EXPLAINED Rohini man said he was kidnapped by Yadav, linked him to Lawrence Bishnoi The India growth story remains intact: Das Retailinflation,whichsurged to a nine-month high of 5.49 per cent in September from 3.65 per cent in August, is expected to re- main elevated in October before moderating in November, Das said in a fireside chat at the India Credit Forum hosted by Bloomberg. “I would like to say that certainly, we are not behind the curve. The Indian growth story remains intact. India is poised to grow at 7.2 per cent according to the projection which we made CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 18 PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi will visit Russia from October 22-23 at the invitation of PresidentVladimirPutintoattend the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, capital of Tatarstan, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Friday. This will be the Prime Minister’s second visit to Russia this year — he visited Moscow for a bilateral summit on July 89. During his visit, Modi is expectedtoholdbilateralmeetings with his counterparts from BRICS member countries and leaders invited to Kazan. China’s Foreign Ministry said Friday that President Xi Jinping will attend the Kazan summit from October 22 to 24. During his visit, Xi will attend the leaders’ meeting, the expert leaders’ dialogues and other activities, and have in-depth exchanges with leaders on the current international situation, Mao Ning, a ministry spokesperson, said. WhileModiisgoingtohavea bilateral meeting with the RussianPresident,alleyesareon CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reviews development activities at a cabinet meeting in Srinagar Thursday. X/@diprjk In its first meeting, J&K cabinet adopts statehood resolution, Omar to meet PM New govt to focus on challenges to governance, redressal of grievances ARUN SHARMA & NAVEED IQBAL JAMMU, SRINAGAR, OCT 18 THE OMAR Abdullah government, at its first cabinet meeting Thursday,unanimouslyadopted a resolution seeking restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The government, it is learnt, has decided to approach the Centre for restoration of statehood.In2019,theerstwhilestate of J&K lost its special status following the abrogation of Article 370. It was subsequently carved upintothetwoUnionTerritories — J&K and Ladakh. Highlyplacedofficialsources told The Indian Express that the J&KcabinetmetThursdayunder the chairmanship of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and unanimously adopted a resolution seeking restoration of statehood. Pointing out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UnionHomeMinisterAmitShah had already committed to restoration of statehood to J&K post the Assembly elections, the resolution, sources said, stated that if the Central government wantstomakethepeoplehappy then it should restore statehood because an elected government has been formed after the Assembly elections. The new government also made it clear that it wants good and cordial relations with the Centre. Sources said the resolution will be submitted to the Prime CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Shopian: Migrant from Bihar abducted, killed by suspected militants NAVEED IQBAL SRINAGAR, OCTOBER 18 THE BULLET-RIDDLED body of a migrant from Bihar was found near the basin of the Rambiara RiverinShopiandistrictof South Kashmir Friday. This is the first such incident under the new Omar Abdullah government. Shopian SP Anayat Ali Choudharyconfirmedthatabullet-riddledbodyhadbeenfound, although he said further details were awaited. However, sources in the Jammu & Kashmir Police identified the migrant as Ashok Chauhan,a30-year-oldroadside vendorwhousedtosellmaizein the main town of the district. Militants allegedly abducted Chauhan from Shopian’s Malhura area and subsequently shot him dead. Thisisthefirstsuspectedmilitant attack targeting a migrant since the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. On April 17, militants killed a migrant worker in Bijbehara town of Anantnag. 7 tigers run over since ’15, MP wildlife dept says rly line marred with issues ANAND MOHAN J BHOPAL, OCTOBER 18 WITH 14 leopards, seven tigers and a bear dead on the tracks since 2015, the Madhya Pradesh wildlife department has raised several red flags in the construction of a railway line project between Barkheda and Budhni, suggesting that measures meant to protect wildlife from accidents have not been imple- mented properly, The Indian Express has learnt. The Barkhera-Budni section —a26.50kmtracksanctionedin 2011-12 at a cost of Rs 991.60 crore — falls in Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve. The railway line came under scanner when three tiger cubs were injured after being struck by a train in a forested area in Midghat, around 70 km from Bhopal, on the night of July 1415. All three eventually suc- cumbed to their injuries. Records show that the wildlife department, in a review meeting on September 6 this year, highlighted lapses in compliance with certain conditions imposed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and ClimateChangeandtheNational Board for Wildlife regarding the construction of the railway line. The department stated that the “conditions imposed under the conditional permission ob- Officials visit the area where three tiger cubs were hit by a train on the night of July 14-15 tained from Government of India… were not fully complied with by the user agency (Indian Railways)”. A key point raised during the meeting was the improper construction of underpasses, meant to provide safe passage for wildlife. These “underpasses are locatedabovelocaldrainagesystems that fill with water during the monsoon, forcing animals to seek alternative routes, often leading them onto the railway tracks”, the department noted. The report also states that “waterlogged areas near the tracks, caused by poor drainage, are attracting animals looking forwater”,furtherincreasingthe risk of collisions. The meeting emphasised the need for developing alternative water sources away from the railway tracks. Speed limits were another pointofcontention.Whiletheapprovedspeedlimitfortrainspassing through forest areas was “set at60kmperhour,cautionboards installed by the railway authorities indicate speed limits of 75 and 65 km per hour”, in clear violation of the prescribed safety measures,thedepartmentstated. The issue of track maintenance was also flagged. Joint inspectionsbyfieldstaff,scientists, and veterinarians revealed that “weeds between the tracks obstruct visibility, making it difficult for train pilots to spot CONTINUED ON PAGE 2