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 SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2025, MUMBAI, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES `5.00 ● WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 Post-Champions Trophy win, Rohit likely to remain captain for England Test series 80 108 132 58 BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY Mumbai Police data: 2024 saw spike in crime against women and children VIJAY KUMAR YADAV MUMBAI, MARCH 14 CRIME AGAINST women and children spiked in 2024 in Mumbai, with reported cases of rape, molestation and child sex abuse going up by 12.8 per cent, compared to that in 2023, according to data compiled by Mumbai Police. Cases of child abuse increased by 21 per cent, highest in three years. While the aggregate number of rape, molestation and child sex abuse cases in 2023 witnessed a decline of 5.5 per cent over 2022, the numbers in 2022 went up by 11.4 per cent over 2021. Rape cases in Mumbai increasedto1,051in2024over973 in the previous year, while molestation cases rose to 2,397 against 2,055 in 2023. The biggest increase was, however, seen in child sex abuse cases, which rose sharply by 21 per centfrom1,108reportedcasesin 2023 to 1,341 cases in 2024. The number of cases under the Protection of Children from SexualOffences (POCSO) Act declined by 4.2 per cent in 2023 over 2022, while it increased by 8.5 per cent in 2022 over 2021. Childsexabusecasesareregistered under the provisions of the POCSO Act. Of the 1,341 POCSO Act cases, 609 were rape cases,677molestationcasesand CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE WORLD DEVENDRA PANDEY MUMBAI, MARCH 14 FOLLOWING INDIA’S overwhelming Champions Trophy triumph, Rohit Sharma is likely to remain captain for the JulyAugust five-Test series in England, The Indian Express has learnt. After struggling for runs during the home Test summer, followed by a disastrous tour to Australia which prompted him to “stand down” from the final Test in Sydney, there was specu- lation that the national selectors may take a call on his future in red-ball cricket. However, the victory in Dubai may prolong Rohit’s Test career. The Indian Express has learnt that Rohit has got the backing of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and its selection panel to lead the team on another major tour. “He has shown what he can do. Every stakeholder feels that he is the right candidate to lead the Indian side for the tour of England.Rohittoohasexpressed his eagerness to keep playing After India’s win at the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai, Rohit Sharma had said he would not be retiring. AP file EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, MARCH 14 INDIA ON Friday rejected Pakistan’sallegationsof“sponsoring terrorism” against it and said Islamabad “should look inwards instead of pointing fingers”. On Thursday, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan had said the attack on the Jaffar Express, which was hijacked by Baloch rebels, was orchestrated from abroad, but did not directly implicate India.HehadsaidtheBalochistan Liberation Army (BLA) rebels were in contact with their handlers based in Afghanistan throughout the train siege. When asked if Pakistan had changed its policy from blaming India in the past for BLA activity, KhanhaddeniedandsaidtheaccusationsagainstIndiaholdeven today. “There is no shift in our policy. And again, the facts have not changed. India is involved in sponsoring terrorism against Pakistan. What I was referring to was, in this particular incident, we have evidence of calls being traced to Afghanistan. This is what I said,” he had said. To another question, he claimed that India has been trying to destabiliseitsneighbouringcountries. Responding to this, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement on Friday: “We strongly reject the baseless allegations made by Pakistan. The whole world knows where the epicentre of global terrorism lies. Pakistan CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 STEVE HOLLAND, DMITRY ANTONOV & ANDREW OSBORN WASHINGTON, MOSCOW, MARCH 14 RESCUE MISSION A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon spacecraft stands ready at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Friday. NASA and SpaceX plan to launch a longawaited crewed rocket that will bring home US astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, stuck on the International Space Station for nine months. AP REPORT,PAGE16 To offset caste tensions, Domestic investors buy cheap as Beed SP asks police to FIIs sell big over past five months avoid using surnames FIIs PULL OUT `3.4 LAKH CRORE SINCE OCTOBER Domesticinstitutionsbuy`3.6lakhcr worthstocksatrock-bottomvaluations GEORGE MATHEW MUMBAI, MARCH 14 THE STOCK MARKET is reeling under a bear run since October with market capitalisation falling by about $1 trillion, but domestic institutional investors believe quality stocks are available cheap, and continue to buy, betting for the long-term. Since the September peak, foreign institutional investors (FIIs)havebeenattheforefrontof this sell-off, liquidating stocks worth Rs 3.42 lakh crore since October 2024. This has led to a sharp 15 per cent-plus fall in the key market indices Nifty and Sensex. A record number of investors across small cities and towns who entered the market lastyearthroughthemutualfund route also burnt their fingers. Butdomesticinstitutionalinvestors (DIIs), led by stateowned LIC and other insurance companies,havebeenabsorbing the shock, purchasing stocks worth Rs 3.61 lakh crore at CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 E DIIs vs FIIs plays out ● in market HIGH VALUATIONS, lacklustre corporate results, and a slowing economy prompted FIIs to pull out from stock markets. Recession fears in the US amid Trump’s tariff policies have not helped either. But in this bear market, domestic institutional investors led by insurers have bought at every dip, given their capacity to hold a long-term bet. MANOJ MORE PUNE, MARCH 14 POLICE IN Maharashtra’s Beed districthavebeendirectednotto put their full names on uniform to avoid “caste tensions”. Similarly, the officers have got desk nameplates with only their first names — a first-of-its-kind move in Maharashtra. The directives have been issued by Beed Superintendent of PoliceNavneetKanwat,whotook chargeinJanuarythisyearfollowing protests over the murder of Massajog sarpanch Santosh DeshmukhinDecemberlastyear. Deshmukh was a Maratha while most of the accused belong to the OBC Vanjari community.Thisledtofurtherbitterness between the OBCs and the Maratha community, which werealreadyatloggerheadsover the reservation issue. The murder eventually led to the resignation of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde. PoliceofficerssaidtheSP’sdirective is meant to avoid further caste tensions in the district. “The Beed SP has issued directivestoallpolicepersonnelinthe district to address each other by their first names and put their CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Heat waves hit Alphonso mango farmers in Konkan PUNE, MARCH 14 PAGE 16 Have strongly requested Putin to spare Ukrainian troops in Kursk, says Trump Russian troops walk along a street in Kursk region, which was recently retaken by Russia. Reuters PARTHA SARATHI BISWAS BUILDING GOVT THAT MEETS THE MOMENT: CARNEY SWORN IN AS CANADIAN PM 52 U.S. UNIVERSITIES FACE PROBE, FUND CUT OVER POLICIES red-ball cricket,” said a source. Soon after winning the ICC Champions Trophy final against New Zealand on Sunday, Rohit hadhimself quashedrumoursof immediate retirement, without spelling out his long-term plans. He was asked about the next 50overs World Cup that India is to host in 2027. “Rightnow,I’mplayingreally well, and I’m enjoying everything I’m doing with this team, and the team is enjoying my company as well, which is nice. I can’t really say 2027, because it’s Trump: Very good chance Russia-Ukraine war can end India rejects Pak’s charge on terror, says ‘look inward’ EXPLAINED 15/03/2025 PUTIN, TRUMP ENVOY MEET WITHRISINGtemperaturesdriving away the winter and multiple heat waves since the start of the year, mango farmers in the Konkanregionof Maharashtra— home to the Alphonso variety — are a worried lot. Mandar Khedkar, who has threeorchardsinSangameshwar andRatnagiritalukasof Ratnagiri district, says his mango trees have not seen any flowering or fruit formation post-December. A mango orchard in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. Express file The current harvest season will be over by early April, but his trees may not bear fruit. “This year,myproducehasgonedown by 75 per cent. Even at the current price, which is double that of lastyear,itwouldnotcoverthe cost of production,” he says. Khedkar is not sure if he will make the trip to the Pune markettosellhisAlphonsomangoes. “The current rate at Pune’s market is around Rs 6,000-7,000 for aboxof fourdozenmangoes.Itis difficult to get customers at this rate — but the real story is that I do not have enough quantity to cover the cost of transport and other expenses,” he says. Vivek Bhide, chairman of the Konkan Hapus Amba Utpadak Vikreta Sahakari Sanstha — the organisation which represents the Alphonos or Hapus growers from the region — says only 30 per cent of the average produce may be available for consumers this year. He blames this on the absence of winter. Winter is an important season for the physiology of the mango plant. It is during the winter months that the plants start flowering, followed by fruit formation within 60 days. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 US PRESIDENT Donald Trump urged Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Friday to spare Ukrainian troops being pushed back out of Russia’s Kursk region and said there was a “very good chance” the war could end. Trump posted on social mediaafterhisenvoy,SteveWitkoff, held a lengthy meeting with Putin on Thursday night in Moscow that Trump described as “very good and productive”. “There is a very good chance thatthishorrible,bloodywarcan finally come to an end,” he said. The US President said thousands of Ukrainian troops were “completely surrounded” by the Russian military and “in a very bad and vulnerable position”. “I have strongly requested to PresidentPutinthattheirlivesbe spared. This would be a horrible massacre, one not seen since World War II. God bless them all!!!,” he said. Military analysts have said Ukrainian forces in Kursk are nearly cut off after rapidly losing ground in what had been their onlyfootholdinRussianterritory. Kyiv’s military, however, said there was no threat of encirclement,andthatitstroopswere pulling back to better positions. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, at a G7 meeting in La Malbaie, Canada, said Witkoff is returning to the United States and there may be discussions about Ukraine over the weekend. “But we certainly feel like we're at least some steps closer to ending this war and bringing peace. But it’s still a long CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 US and Israel look to Africa for resettling Palestinians from Gaza Reach out to Sudan, Somalia, Somaliland govts JOSEF FEDERMAN, MATTHEW LEE & SAMY MAGDY JERUSALEM, WASHINGTON, CAIRO, MARCH 14 THE US and Israel have reached out to officials of three East African governments to discuss usingtheirterritoriesaspotential destinations for resettling Palestinians uprooted from the Gaza Strip under President Donald Trump’s proposed postwarplan,AmericanandIsraeliofficials told The Associated Press. The contacts with Sudan, Somalia and the breakaway region of Somalia known as Somaliland reflect the determination by the US and Israel to press ahead with a plan that has been widely condemned and raisedseriouslegalandmoralis- Palestinians offer prayers in the ruins of a mosque in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip. AP sues. Because all three places are poor,andinsomecaseswracked by violence, the proposal also casts doubt on Trump’s stated goal of resettling Gaza’s Palestiniansina“beautifularea”. Officials from Sudan said they have rejected overtures from the US, while officials from SomaliaandSomalilandtoldThe Associated Press that they were not aware of any contacts. Under Trump’s plan, Gaza’s CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Collecting, cutting & bidding — how Mumbai Police dispose of seized firearms PAGE 1 ANCHOR MOHAMED THAVER MUMBAI, MARCH 14 BETWEEN FEBRUARY 17 and 28, anyone who went to the Mumbai Police headquarters would have been met with an unusual sight — that of 7-8 men working in two mini tents to cut down a range of firearms, from rifles to pistols and revolvers. At the end of each day, there was a mound of wooden rifle butts on one side and a pile of gun barrels on the other. Themen,allengagedindealing with scrap, were busy with an important task — cutting and getting rid of firearms that had either been illegally procured or were used in crimes that took place in the city from 2015 to 2024 — on court orders. Over the 10-day period, the mencut2,067firearms,weighed it in scrap, bundled it up in plastic bags and loaded it in trucks for disposal. The money thus secured—Rs57,900receivedatthe rate of Rs 30 per kg — would be handed over to the police and would eventually be deposited in the government’s account. The disposal of firearms may appear to be a simple exercise. But in reality, it is a complicated affair involving multiple steps — from matching firearms with court orders that allows its disposal and asking scrap owners who have the expertise in cutting weapons to bid to carrying outtheentiredisposalprocessin the presence of police officers, ensuring that the money thus secured is deposited in government coffers and giving courts a full compliance report. An official said that the last A total of 2,067 firearms seized in Mumbai between 2015 and 2024 were cut into pieces and disposed as scrap. Mumbai Police time such an exercise was carried out was around 2017, when 6,000 firearms that were seized until 2014 were gotten rid of. At that point, a total of 1,600 kg of scrap was recovered. The firearms disposed of this time ranged from rifles and pistols to revolvers. There were a few knives as well. “Of the 2,143 firearms, 76 that appeared to have some antique value, were kept aside for display purposes and a total of 2,067 firearms were given as scrap,” an officer linked to the process told The Indian Express, adding that money for the 1,930 kg of scrap was deposited in the state government account on March 4. Explaining the process, the officer said that once a firearm is seized by police, it is usually sent for a ballistics test and the report is then used in the courts. In most cases, these are illegal country-made firearms that police seized in an arms haul, although they also include those used in firing incidents. Afterthetestsarerunandthe weapons are produced as evidence in courts, the firearms are kept in the police armoury until further notice. Whenever the courtorderstheirdisposal,these firearmsarekeptaside,andonce enough of them are collected, tenders are floated for scrap dealers and the highest bidder gets the contract to dispose of the entire lot. This is similar to the method that agencies such the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) or AntiNarcotics Cell (ANC) use to dispose of narcotics they seize — in that case, government officials give contracts to waste management companies to incinerate the contraband in the presence of governmentofficialsandphotos of the process are submitted to the court as proof.