DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2025, AHMEDABAD, LATE CITY, 16 PAGES SINCE 1932 `5.00 ● WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM PAK CALL AFTER SEVERE DAMAGE TO ITS AIR BASES: JAISWAL Mediation,Kashmir&trade:Delhi rebutsTrumpclaimspointbypoint MEA details chronology to show ‘who called whom’ to negotiate terms of ceasefire SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, MAY 13 WITH US President Donald Trump claiming credit for “mediation” in stopping a “nuclear” conflict, offering to work for a “solution on Kashmir”, and saying America will do a “lot of trade” with both India and Pakistan if they end hostilities — India on Tuesday gave a sharply worded rebuttal on each and every point. New Delhi ruled out mediation saying the only outstanding matteristhevacationof territory illegally occupied by Pakistan. It saidthattradenevercameupfor discussions with the US, underlined that India won’t give in to “nuclear blackmail”, and gave a chronologicalaccountof conversationstoreinforcethepointthat it was Pakistan which reached outtowardspausingmilitaryaction after an extremely effective attack by Indian forces on key Pakistani Air Force bases. This is the strongest counter by Delhi since Saturday’s claims by Trump on the range of issues and makes clear its discomfiture with Trump wading into IndiaPakistan politics and hostilities. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY PM Narendra Modi with IAF personnel at the Adampur air base in Punjab, Tuesday. An S-400 system, which Pakistan claimed to have destroyed at the air base, is visible, intact. PTI More details of Pak losses: 20% of PAF infra, warjets, officer among 50 killed EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, MAY 13 INDIA’SPRECISIONstrikesatover a dozen military bases across Pakistanledtothedestructionof nearly20percentof PakistanAir Force infrastructure and several PAF fighter aircraft, official sources disclosed Tuesday. Sourcessaidthestrikes,inretaliation for Pakistani attempts to hit Indian military installations and civilian areas with armed drones and missiles, tar- GOVT & POLITICS DE-ESCALATION PLANS LIKELY TO BE SWAPPED TODAY BETWEEN DGMOs PAGE 10 getedmajorammunitiondepots and air bases such as Sargodha and Bholari where PAF’s F-16 and J-17 aircraft were stationed. Over50individuals,including CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 NEW DELHI, MAY 13 PUBLIC TRUST in the judiciary “hastobeearned”and“cannotbe commanded”, outgoing Chief JusticeofIndiaSanjivKhannasaid while addressing lawyers who gathered in his courtroom to bid MAHENDER SINGH MANRAL NEW DELHI, MAY 13 THE DELHI Police has started the process of increasing security coverforExternalAffairsMinister S Jaishankar following a specific request from the Ministry of ExternalAffairsovertheweekend — after military hostilities between India and Pakistan along theborderhadpeakedfollowing the Pahalgam terror attack, The Indian Express has learnt. The police are also reviewing their security cover for Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and at least 25 leaders from the BJP, including Union Ministers, MPs and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. This decision was taken duringameetingheldSundayby Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arorawithseniorofficers on security for VIPs who spoke out publicly against Pakistan, particularly on social media, amid the military confrontation. Itwasalsodecidedtoprovide CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE WORLD ZELENSKYY INSISTS ON DIRECT TALKS WITH PUTIN IN ISTANBUL IN RIYADH, TRUMP SECURES $600-BN INVESTMENT PLEDGE PAGE 13 MAN AMAN SINGH CHHINA CHANDIGARH, MAY 13 HAILING THE Indian Armed ForcesforOperationSindoorand the manner in which they responded to Pakistani attacks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday they had sent the Pakistan Army a clear message that“thereisnoplaceinPakistan where terrorists can hide” anymoreand“if thereisanotherterror attack, India will respond, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Public trust in judiciary is earned, not commanded: CJI Khanna at farewell EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE Delhi Police to enhance Jaishankar security on MEA request Pak Army knows there is no place for terror to hide: PM in Adampur CJI Sanjiv Khanna (right) with successor Justice B R Gavai at the farewell. PTI himfarewellasheretiredTuesday. After the ceremonial bench sitting,whichiscustomarilyheld whenever a judge retires, the CJI visited the media lounge where, in reply to a query, he said, “I will not accept any post-retirement post, but perhaps will do something with law.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 UNA FLOGGING CASE ‘Benefit of doubt’: Court acquits 9 Dalit protesters accused of murder, rioting PARIMAL A DABHI GANDHINAGAR, MAY 13 A SESSIONS court in Amreli district has acquitted nine persons belongingtoDalitcommunity— who had carried out a protest against Una public flogging incident in 2016 — charged with murder of a head constable, rioting,damagetopublicproperty while giving them “benefit of doubt”andpointingouttheglaring discrepancies in evidence of the case. The prosecution “has failed in bringing on record chained evidence which can support the facts of complainant’s complaint,” stated the court. The judgment was pronouncedMondaybythecourtof 4th Additional District and Sessions Judge of Amreli, Dharmendra Shrivastav. The case pertains to a rally carried out by the Dalits in Amreli on July 19, 2016 against the public flogging of seven members of family on July 11, the same year, in Gir-Somnath district’s Una by self-styled cow vigilantes for skinning the carcass of a cow. Thesaidrallywaspartof aseries of protests organised by Dalits across Gujarat to protest the Una flogging incident. The court acquitted Ramesh Babariya, Ramesh Vijuda, Naran Vanjara, Shailesh Vala, Bhanu Vanjara, Manjula Vanjara, Kanti Vala, Navchetan Parmar and RipalChavdainthecase.Notably, the rally was organised after Navchetan Parmar had taken permission of the authorities. Head constable Pankaj Amreliya, who died during the protest rally, was at that time at- tached with Local Crime Branch. Amreli city police had registered the case on the basis of a complaintlodgedbythetheninchargePoliceInspectorof Amreli City Police Station H M Ramavat. Aspertheprosecution’scase, the rally was carried out in Amrelitownbetween11amand 2 pm to protest the Una public flogging incident and other alleged atrocities committed against the Dalit community in the state. The prosecution stated that theprotestersallegedlychanged therallyrouteandattackedpublic properties. To control the situation, the police resorted to lathi charge and firing of tear gas shells, followed by stone pelting during which some Dalit protesters allegedly hit Amreliya with stones, resulting in his CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Defying all odds, two students from Ahmedabad make it to IIMs PAGE 1 ANCHOR RITU SHARMA AHMEDABAD, MAY 13 FROM WORKING at a wholesale footwear shop at the age of 14 at a montly allowance of Rs 1,500 to a job of a 'chowkidar' in the Ahmedabad cantonement area for a salary of around Rs 19,000 to cracking the Common Admission Test (CAT) and confirming a seat for himself in Dipesh Kewlani and Suraj Soni Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Shillong — 27-year-old DipeshKewlani,aresidentof the city, has come a long way. The story is similar for 21year-oldSurajSonifromChaloda village in Dholka, as financial constraints could not stop or break either of them. After Dipesh's father died when he was 11 and his younger brother Dinesh six, the family shifted to Ahmedabad from Jaipur in 2009 with the help of Dipesh's maternal uncle. Apostgraduateincommerce from HL Commerce College in Ahmedabad, Dipesh still works at the Army station. He says he CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Ahmedabad