DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA ● REG.NO. MCS/067/2018 - 20 RNI REGN. NO. 1543/57 JOURNALISM OF COURAGE TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2025, MUMBAI, LATE CITY, 20 PAGES `5.00 ● WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 AFTER MISRI-WANG MEETING IN BEIJING 96 124 153 72 Thaw in India-China chill: Direct flights, Mansarovar Yatra and easing of visas To work on sharing trans-border river data, facilitate people-to-people exchanges of media, think-tanks BUSINESS AS USUAL SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, JANUARY 27 BY UNNY ‘WORST CRIME’ CBI court gives life term to Himachal IGP, 7 other cops for custodial death IGP Zahur Haider Zaidi JAGPREET SINGH SANDHU CHANDIGARH, JANUARY 27 A SPECIAL CBI Court in Chandigarh on Monday sentenced Himachal Pradesh Inspector General of Police Zahur Haider Zaidiandsevenotherpolicepersonnel to life imprisonment for the custodial death of a suspect arrested for the gangrape and murder of a minor girl in Shimla district in 2017. “Custodial violence is a matter of great concern in a civilised society and custodial death is perhaps one of the worst crimes inacivilisedsocietygovernedby theruleof law,”SpecialCBIJudge Alka Malik said. “Inspiteof constitutionaland statutory provisions aimed at safeguarding the personal liberty and life of a citizen, growing incidents of torture and death in police custody show that there is still worst violation of human rightstakingplace,thattooatthe hands of law enforcement agencies, as in the instant case,” the court said. On January 18, the court had convicted Zaidi (55), then DeputySuperintendentof Police Manoj Joshi (42), Sub-Inspector Rajinder Singh (38), Assistant SI Deep Chand Sharma (59), Head ConstablesMohanLal(58),Surat Singh (50), Rafee Mohammad (43) and Constable Ranjit Sateta (37). The court, however, acquitted the then Superintendent of Police D W Negi. The police personnel were convictedundervarioussections of the Indian Penal Code, including 302 (murder) read with CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 TAHAWWUR RANA: NIA FORMS TEAM, LIKELY TO GO TO U.S. THIS WEEK P14 PAGE 1 ANCHOR Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Monday. PTI MARKING A major diplomatic breakthrough after the disengagementprocessbetweenIndia and China was completed last November,NewDelhiandBeijing decidedonaslewof measuresto improve bilateral exchanges: resumingKailashMansarovarYatra inthesummerthisyear;working to restore direct flights between thetwocapitals;issuingvisasfor journalists and think tanks, and sharing trans-border river data, an official statement from the MinistryofExternalAffairs(MEA) said on Monday. These decisions were arrived atafterForeignSecretaryVikram E E X P L A I NE D 28/01/2025 ● A tale of 3 mutuals WANG YI flagged three mutuals to avoid: “suspicion, estrangement, and exhaustion.” This comes after Jaishankar had outlined India’s approach in terms of “the three mutuals — mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interests”. Misri met Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Minister of International Department of the Communist Party of China Liu Jianchao in Beijing. Recalling the agreement between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at their meeting in Kazan in October, the MEA said that the two sides “reviewed the state of India-China bilateral relations comprehensively” and “agreed to take certain people-centric stepstostabiliseandrebuildties”. While there was no mention of the border situation in the Indian statement, it said: “It was agreedtoresumethesedialogues step by step and to utilise them to address each other’s priority areas of interest and concern.” This is an oblique reference to the border situation, with no CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Rolling out uniform US officials visit gurdwaras amid crackdown on illegal immigrants code, CM Dhami: Sikh Will prevent Aaftab, visitsbodies protest Modi speaks to Trump: by Homeland Security agents to ‘Mutually beneficial ties’ Shraddha repeat gurdwaras in New Invokes 2022 killing in Delhi, claims not an intrusion but for protection of couples York, New Jersey SHUBHAJIT ROY LALIT K JHA AWEEKafterDonaldTrumpwas sworn in as the US President for the second time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to him on Monday. “Delighted to speak with my dear friend President @realDonaldTrump @POTUS. Congratulated him on his historic second term. We are committed to a mutually beneficial andtrustedpartnership.Wewill work together for the welfare of our people and towards global peace, prosperity and security,” Modi said on X. WASHINGTON, JANUARY 27 Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami (centre) at an event to roll out the UCC, in Dehradun. PTI AISWARYA RAJ DEHRADUN, JANUARY 27 ROLLING OUT the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday said that among the aims of the code — the first of its kind to be implemented in the country — was to ensure that cases like the murder of a woman in Delhi in 2022, al- legedly by her live-in partner, do not take place again. Dhami said the mandatory registration of live-in relationships under the UCC was not an “intrusion into the lives of livein couples” but is meant to LAW ENFORCEMENT officials from the US Department of Homeland Security have started visiting gurdwaras in New York and New Jersey to check for the presence of illegal immigrants, drawing a sharp reaction from some Sikh organisations which seesuchactionsasathreattothe sanctity of their faith. Some of the gurdwaras in New York and New Jersey are CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 EXPLAINED CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 DHANKHAR: MATTER OF TIME BEFORE UCC ACROSS INDIA PAGE 8 INDIA’STIESWITH INDONESIA PAGE 15 Fewer seats but AAP claims win in Amritsar mayor polls, Cong objects KAMALDEEP SINGH BRAR AMRITSAR, JANUARY 27 AMID CONFLICTING versions on the voting process followed on Monday to elect the new Amritsar mayor, senior deputy mayor, and deputy mayor, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claimed that it has won all three posts — despite the Congress having the largest bloc of councillors in the 85-member municipal corporation House. Jatinder Singh Moti Bhatia was elected as mayor: AAP While the Congress held protestsandsaiditwillchallenge the AAP claim in the High Court, the AAP said the rival party was hit by two abstentions and “lack of preparation and internal coordination”. There was no official statement from Jalandhar Divisional CommissionerArunSekhri,who presided over the meeting to elect the mayor, or the Amritsar administration, confirming the election results. Sekhri did not respond to calls from The Indian Express for comments. Hours after the elections, which followed the oath-taking ceremonyof thenewcouncillors electedintheDecember21polls, AAP state president Aman Arora CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 NEW DELHI, JANUARY 27 Waqf panel clears 14 amendments by NDA MPs, rejects all 44 from Opp Opposition members Asaduddin Owaisi, Kalyan Banerjee, Mohamed Abdulla, Arvind Sawant, Syed Naseer Hussain and A Raja after the Waqf panel meet in New Delhi, Monday. PTI ASAD REHMAN NEW DELHI, JANUARY 27 FROM RELAXING the six-month window to register Waqf properties on a portal; replacing the districtcollectorwithastategovernment official to be the arbiter on whether a property is Waqf propertyor governmentland; to having one member in the Waqf tribunal with “knowledge of Muslim law and jurisprudence” — the Joint Committee of Parliament (JCP) examining the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, has approved key changes to the proposed legislation. However, while the JCP approved 14 amendments pro- posed by MPs of the BJP and its allies, 44 suggested by the Opposition were rejected. It is learnt that all the 44 amendments proposed by the Opposition were against the changesplannedintheBilltothe Waqf Act of 2013. Inajointstatementissuedafter the meeting, the Opposition said:“Asweexpecttheautocratic behavior of the Chairman at the behestof theUnionGovernment, today’s meeting (27/01/25) was calledtodiscussclause-by-clause consideration… The awkward CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 RELATED REPORT PAGE 8 THE WORLD NORTH GAZA RESIDENTS MAKE LONG TREK HOME AS CROSSING REOPENS U.S. AND COLOMBIA REACH DEAL ON DEPORTATIONS; TARIFF ON HOLD P 16 PM Narendra Modi with President Donald Trump. File “The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment for a mutually beneficial and trusted partnership. They discussed various facets of the wide-ranging CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 BJP got Rs 3,967 cr in Mastermind Anmol donations in 2023-24, Bishnoi promised flat, up 87%; share of poll car, Rs 5 L in advance bonds dipped to 43% to carry out his plan Cong saw 320% jump to Rs 1,129.66 cr BABA SIDDIQUE MURDER CASE CHARGESHEET SADAF MODAK & MOHAMED THAVER MUMBAI, JANUARY 27 GANGSTER ANMOL Bishnoi, whomastermindedtheconspiracy to murder NCP leader and former minister Baba Siddique, was constantly in touch with men who carried out the assassination and motivated them with promises of a flat, car and Rs 5 lakh in advance, according to the chargesheet filed by the Mumbai Police. The chargesheet states that Anmol Bishnoi, currently detained in the US and wanted in the case, led an organised crime syndicate whose members carriedoutSiddique’s assassination on October 12, 2024. There are a total of 26 arrested accused in the case aged between 19 and 43, with a majority of them in their early 20s. Police claim that Anmol maintainedregularcontactwith the accused through social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram. Among them was Shubham Lonkar, a wanted accused who publicly claimed responsibility for the murder in a social media post. Usingconfessionalstatements anddigitalevidence,investigators detailed Bishnoi’s role in orchestratingthecrime.Inonerecovered conversation,Anmolallegedlyinstructed the accused to conduct reconnaissance near Siddique’s Bandra residence, promising rewards for their efforts. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 DAMINI NATH NEW DELHI, JANUARY 27 IN THE run-up to the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, donations to theBJPshotup87%fromtheprevious year to touch Rs 3,967.14 crore,whiletheshareof electoral bonds in the party’s total contributions decreased to less than half, as per the BJP’s annual audit report for 2023-2024. Theannual report,published by the Election Commission on Monday, showed that voluntary contributions to the ruling party increasedfromRs 2,120.06 crore in2022-2023toRs3,967.14crore in 2023-2024. According to the report, the BJP got Rs 1,685.62 crore in the form of electoral bonds, or 43% of its total contributions. In 2022-2023, the party had got Rs 1,294.14croreintheformof electoral bonds, forming 61% of the total contributions. InFebruarylastyear,theelectoralbondschemewasscrapped by the Supreme Court, which held it unconstitutional. As expected for a Lok Sabha election year, the BJP’s expenditure on election/ general propaganda increased from Rs 1,092.15 crore in the previous year to Rs 1,754.06 crore, the report showed. Of that, Rs 591.39 crore was spent on advertisements and publicity. While the Congress was a distant second to the BJP in terms of donations, it saw a higher spike in contributions in the election year. The Congress’s annual report showed that the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 How police handle security in Mumbai’s celebrity-studded Zone 9 MOHAMED THAVER MUMBAI, JANUARY 27 THE MAIN doors of Satguru Sharan, a building located near TurnerRoadinMumbai’sBandra West, are sealed shut. From a narrow glass door, security guards keep a hawk’s eye on a delivery man clutching a bouquet of exotic flowers, even as their colleague makes a call. After a few tense moments, the delivery man is finally allowed to enter the building. The security guards are on edge. In the early hours of January 16, an intruder entered the 11th floor flat belonging to actor Saif Ali Khan. In what appears to be a robbery attempt gone wrong, he stabbed the actor six times before fleeing. The alleged intruder was arrested by the police a few days later. Theincidentwasshockingon many counts, including the fact that Saif’s house is located in Mumbai Police’s Zone 9. The plush zone, which stretches from Andheri to Bandra, has more A-lister residents per square feet than anywhere else in the country — making it the virtual “Beverly Hills” of India. Among Bollywood royalty who reside in Zone 9 are Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan, Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor,Shah Rukh Khan,SalmanKhan,andSaif and his wife Kareena Kapoor Khan. While residences owned by Shah Rukh — the iconic Mannat — and Salman — the famous Galaxy Apartment — are practically fortresses, besides being constantly swarmed by fans and thepaparazzi,thesecurityinSaif’s building appeared to be shockingly lax during the incident. To a question on the “deteriorating” law and order situation in Zone 9, Dikshit Gedam, Zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), told The Indian Express, Workers install a fence at actor Saif Ali Khan’s former residence in Bandra, Mumbai, on Monday. Sankhadeep Banerjee “One incident does not define the safety of my zone.” However, two other highprofile incidents over the past year have added to the troubles of Bandra Police. On April 14, 2024, two members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang fired six rounds outside Salman’s residence and fled. The actor was already under police security due to threats from the gang. Reportedly furious over one of the bullets entering his house, Salman recently made a host of security upgrades, including installing bullet-proof glass over his balcony and advanced CCTV cameras to keep a check on sus- picious movements. Thesecondbreachtookplace on October 12, 2024, when Baba Siddique, a former minister and Bandra resident, was shot dead outside his son Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Bandra East. The police said the accused had conducted a recce outside the politician’s Bandra West residence before the shooting. Even as the Saif incident has added to the Bandra Police’s headache, some personnel pointed to the “absolute lack of securitymeasures”in theactor’s building—frombarelyanyCCTV cameras on the premises or at his residence, to the minimal presence of security guards and the “easily scalable” six-foot boundary wall. “Unless one employs a specialisedsecurityagency,itishardly a secret that the average security guard is not just poorly paid but alsodoestwoshiftsadaytomake a living. Which is why most of them sleep during night shifts. In Saif’s case too, the security guard wasasleepwhentheaccusedentered the building,” said a senior officer,addingthatforahigh-profile building where many Bollywood A-listers reside, “the lack of security was shocking”. Soon after the incident, the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2