eye MCS/204/2020-22RNINO.MAHENG2002/21899 THE SUNDAY EXPRESS MAGAZINE The five brothers and their wife MUMBAI,LATECITY As the restored version of The Mahabharata releases, Mallika Sarabhai looks back at essaying Draupadi JANUARY12,2025 16+4PAGES,`6.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA FOUR-PAGE PULLOUT INCLUDES HIGH-STAKES BMC CracksinMVA: UddhavSena sayswillgosolo inlocalelections 12/01/2025 96 124 153 72 14 ARRESTED Kerala teen athlete claims sexual abuse by 62 people over years SHAJU PHILIP WillwaitforUddhavtoannounce,says Cong;NCP-SPtoleaveitto‘districtunits’ EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE MUMBAI, JANUARY 11 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JANUARY 11 WOMEN AGNIVEERS PREPARE FOR ARMY DAY KERALA POLICE has registered fivecasesandarrested14people after an 18-year-old from Pathanamthitta district alleged that as many as 62 people sexually abused her over the last several years. Police said the girl, who is from the Dalit community, has alleged that she had been sexually abused from the age of 16. The alleged incident came to light when volunteers of the KeralaMahilaSamakhyaSociety met the girl, a district-level athlete, during a field visit. When she told them she wanted to share her ordeal, the volunteers informed the district ChildWelfareCommittee(CWC). Pathanamthitta Superintendent of Police V G Vinod Kumar said the probe has been intensified. “More cases will be registered based on the girl’s detailed statement, which is being recordedbywomenpoliceinthe presence of her mother. Action willcontinuebasedonherstatements,’’ he said. Apart from relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from SexualOffencesAct(POCSO),the suspects were booked under various sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Five cases were registered in the last two days. Advocate N Rajeev, who Women Agniveers from the Corps of Military Police march during rehearsals for the Army Day parade in Pune on Saturday. This is the first time an all-women Agniveer contingent will take part in the Army Day parade, to be held at Bombay Engineer Group Centre, Khadki, on January 15. Pavan Khengre CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 GOVT & POLITICS 7-FOLD INCREASE IN DRUG SEIZURE… DRONES, DARK WEB A CHALLENGE, SAYS AMIT SHAH PAGE 9 Citing CAG report, SpaDeX satellites 230 metres apart, Nadda says ‘`2,026 cr ISRO may attempt docking today loss’ from liquor Exercising caution policy, targets AAP NEW DELHI, JANUARY 11 Report manufactured at BJP office, has no credibility: AAP hits back EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, JANUARY 11 A WAR OF words erupted betweentheBharatiyaJanataParty (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the findings of a CAG report purportedly saying that the state exchequer incurred a loss of Rs 2,026 crore due to the Delhi government’s now-retracted excise policy. Following news reports by TV channels CNN News 18 and India Today, BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda went on the offensive and said “intentional lapses” in the policy causedlossesof Rs2,026croreto the exchequer. AAP dismissed the report and said it was “manufactured at the BJP office”. “Intoxicated by power, high on mis-governance. ‘AAP’DA model of loot in full display and thattooonsomethinglikeliquor. Just a matter of a few weeks before they are voted out and punished for their misdeeds. CAG Report on ‘Liquorgate’ exposes @ArvindKejriwaland@AamAadmiParty Gov. Intentional ‘Lapses’ AAP model of loot in full display: Nadda inPolicyImplementationRs2026 Cr Loss to Exchequer money (Sic.)” Nadda said in a post on X. Retaliating to the allegations, AAPchief nationalspokesperson Priyanka Kakkar accused the BJP of “manufacturing”the“fake”report to attack the AAP. “ThisCAGreportthattheCM, the LG, the Speaker (of the Delhi Legislative Assembly) have not seen,norisavailableonthewebsite of the CAG…what such report have they received? This is the same sheet of paper that the BJP manufactures at its office…that has no credibility…the BJP manufactures fake papers and runs away after making accusations on their basis,” Kakkar alleged. According to the purported CAG report, the actual implementation of the policy was CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE INDIAN Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is hoping to get third-time lucky as it is likely to make another attempt at docking the two satellites of the SpaDeX mission in space on Sunday. The two satellites, called Chaser and Target, were brought together, just 230 metres apart, on Saturday evening and locked E EXPLAINED ANONNA DUTT ● DOCKING TWO moving satellites in space is a complicated operation, so it is no surprise ISRO is being cautious. Since this is just a technology demonstration mission, getting it right is more important that getting it done on schedule. in that configuration for further checks. Officials told The Indian Express that the final docking manoeuvre may be carried out on Sunday. ISRO had to postpone the docking plans on two occasions earlier, on January 7 and January 9, because the satellites had not beenabletoachievetherequired alignment. “After the last manoeuvre, the satellites had drifted away, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 UNDER INCREASING pressure from its cadre, who questioned the utility of being in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance after its humiliating defeat in the MaharashtraAssemblyelections, theShivSena(UBT)Saturdayannounced its intent of contesting all the urban local body and Zilla Parishad elections including the one for the coveted Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on its own. “From Mumbai till Nagpur, we will fight corporation elections on our own. Let it happen once and for all, we want to test ourselves. We have been given a go-ahead for this by party chief Uddhav Thackeray,” Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said in Nagpur Saturday. The move comes after the Shiv Sena (UBT) faced intense criticism from its own elected MLAsandcadrefollowingtheresults of the Maharashtra Assembly elections. The alliance’s combined tally of 46 seats—including 20 from Shiv Sena (UBT), 16 from Congress, and 10 from NCP-SP—was lower We want to test ourselves: Sanjay Raut than that of the Shinde Sena alone (57). Additionally, Shiv Sena (UBT) garnered just 9.96% of the vote share, a significant drop from the 16.72% it got in the Lok Sabha elections barely six months earlier. After the election setback, party leaders urged Uddhav Thackeray to consider severing ties with the MVA and contesting elections independently. On November25,twodaysafterthe Assemblyresults,themajorityof 20 MLAs from Shiv Sena (UBT), in their first meeting with Thackeray, had asked for breaking away from the MVA. They had argued that doing so would be essential for reconnecting with their base and preventing further support from drifting to the Shinde Sena. With critical corporation elections on the horizon, including the BMC, which the Shiv CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Bumrah likely to miss Champions Members of PSC Trophy group stage matches must not be wedded to any ideology: V-P DEVENDRA PANDEY MUMBAI, JANUARY 11 IN A setback for India, strike bowler Jasprit Bumrah is likely to miss the group stage of next month's Champions Trophy due to health reasons. The Indian Express has learnt thatBumrah,whohasswellingon hisback,hasbeenaskedtoreport to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru where his recovery will be monitored. The Champions Trophy, which will have the world’s top eight ODI teams, begins on February 19, with the matches scheduled at Karachi, Rawalpindi, Lahore and Dubai The strike bowler has swelling on his back for India's games. The national selectors, who met in Mumbai on Saturday to pick the team for the T20 series at home against England later this month, are learnt to have been updated about Bumrah's fitness status. Though the deadline for announcing squads for the Champions Trophy is Sunday, the BCCI has sought an extension. Selectors are considering if theyshouldnameBumrahinthe squad of 15 or add him to the list of reserveplayersforthetournament. It is learnt that the BCCI willinitiallysubmitaprovisional squad to the International Cricket Council. As changes to teams can be made till February 12, it gives selectors time to monitor Bumrah's progress closer to the tournament. According to a BCCI source, Bumrahisexpectedtobefullyfit only by the first week of March. “He (Bumrah) will be going to NCA for his rehabilitation. The initial report says he doesn’t have a fracture but has swelling on his back. So the NCA will monitor his recovery and he will CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 SANATH PRASAD BENGALURU, JANUARY 11 SPEAKING OUT against appointments “driven by patronage and favouritism” in Public Service Commissions, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday saidPSCmembersshouldnotbe “weddedtoaparticularideology or individual”. Dhankhar also criticised the practiceof grantingextensionsin service, calling it a “setback to those who are in line” and a move that “defies the logical principle of extension”. In this context,healsospokeoutagainst post-retirement assignments, saying such “largesse... is antithetical to what was visualised by framers of the Constitution”. Dhankhar was delivering the inaugural address at the 25th National Conference of ChairpersonsofAllStatePublicService Commissions in Bengaluru. Callingforthestrengtheningofinstitutions, he expressed concern overthedivisiveandpolarisednature of India’s polity, and underlined the need for “political fire CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 As kite festival draws near, ‘terrace tourism’ takes flight in Old Ahmedabad PAGE 1 ANCHOR PARIMAL DABHI AHMEDABAD, JANUARY 11 A WELCOME drink, a lunch spread with delicacies like undhiyu and til-chikki, hand massagers to work out the kinks from the shoulders, and music, masks,hatsandvuvuzelas(plastic horns) to celebrate a win. As the two-day Uttarayan, celebrated in north India as Makar Sankranti, inches closer, OldAhmedabadgetsascompetitive about “terrace tourism”, as it does about flying kites during the festival on January 14-15. With most residents of Old Ahmedabad, which was given theUNESCOWorldHeritageCity tag in 2017, moving to the other end of the city, across the Sabarmati — where terraces are rare,havebeentakenoverbysolar panels or are at a distance from each other — contests in theskiescontinuetobemoreexciting in the walled city. During the two days of the festival, intense kite fights take place on these rented terraces, where victors’ shouts of “kai po che(I’vecutthekite)”areaccompanied by bewigged and masked spectators blowing vuvuzelas. Thoughtheconceptofterrace rentals has existed in Old Ahmedabadforafewyears,travel firmshavenowstartedofferinga rangeof packagesforthoseinterested, including people from across the city, different states, other countries and even corporates. Ajay Modi, who runs a travel firm and owns three houses in Old Ahmedabad’s Khadia locality, says, “Many people from pols The concept of renting out terraces to kite-fliers started in Old Ahmedabad a few years ago. File (localities in the walled city) migrated to other parts of Ahmedabadovertheyears.Since lastyear,Istartedofferingterrace tourismpackagesbecausetheatmosphere in pols during Uttarayan is unique. By renting out their terraces, house owners earn some money, while people who want to enjoy Uttarayan here, do so with such packages.” Stating that he rents out all three of his terraces, Modi says, “Each of my terraces can accommodate a maximum of 12 persons. They can be rented for Rs 3,000 per person on Uttarayan (January14)andforRs2,000per person on Vasi-Uttarayan (January 15).” Prakash Bhavsar is a resident of Khadia who facilitates terrace rentals.“Peoplewhowanttorent terraces contact me and I put them in touch with the house ownersconcerned.Ihavealready facilitated four deals this year. Though women from some houses in the walled city are involved in gruh udyog (home enterprises), they rarely use their terraces. Terrace rentals are a great way for them to supplementtheirincome,”saysBhavsar. Ketan Vyas, a resident of Dariapur in Old Ahmedabad, saysherentsouthismassiveterrace, which can accommodate between 30 and 50 persons. His package, which includes a host of features, costs Rs 3,800 per adultandRs2,400perchild.Like Modi’s, Vyas’s terrace package comes with a host of facilities. However, he says, it offers something that few can — parking facilities. Modi,whoseterracepackage does not include parking facilities, says, “Since parking space is very limited in the walled city, I tellmygueststoeithertakeataxi or an auto rickshaw.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 2