BHUBANESWAR l wednesday l december 07, 2022 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l JEYPORE EDITION WHY is Christian Michel James still in jail, asks sc Complete deprivation of liberty, says court The AgustaWestland chopper scam accused is kept in jail just because he is a foreign national, the Supreme Court said UNHRC found detention illegal: Counsel How long can he be kept in custody and does his not being an Indian justify “complete deprivation” of his liberty, asked a bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha. James is a UK national and was extradited from Dubai in 2018. The bench noted that the co-accused govt officials have been granted bail for want of sanction for prosecution | P7 “The maximum sentence for the offence he is charged with is five years and James has been in custody for four years 10 months. Prior to extradition he was in custody for 120 days in Dubai,” said advocate Aljo K Joseph appearing for James, claiming his client has approached the UNHRC, which has held the detention as illegal `2,666 cr LOSS TO the EXCHEQUER DUE TO THE AgustaWestland DEAL, as per CBI CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Inflation, quota & jobs to dominate Parliament session raised by the BJD and drew supported from the Opposition. As for the legislative agenda, the The winter session of Parliament government is planning to introthat begins on Wednesday can be duce 16 new bills. The Congress inexpected to be stormy as the Oppo- tends to oppose three of them — sition is gearing up to put the gov- t h e B i o l o g i c a l D i v e r s i t y ernment on the mat over pressing (Amendment) Bill, 2021, Multiissues like inflation, unState Cooperative Societies employment, the China(Amendment) Bill, 2022, India border dispute and and Forest (Conservation) the economically weaker Amendment Bill, 2022. It section (EWS) quota. wants them sent to standAt an all-party meet on ing committees for Tuesday, Opposition parvetting. ties urged the government 23 days, 17 While the Cooperative to ensure wider discusSocieties (Amendment) sittings sions over burning issues Bill seeks to increase acThe session facing the nation. They countability and reform will have 17 also demanded a wider the electoral process in sittings over 23 discussion over the alleged multi-state cooperative sodays and will misuse of central investicieties, the Forest (Conserbe held in the gative agencies like the vation) Amendment Bill existing CBI and the ED against aims to remove ambiguiParliament the Opposition parties. ties, promote plantation in House. The Leaders from more than 30 non-forest areas, and conBudget session parties participated in the serve forests. “Several sugis expected in meeting. gestions have been rethe new The demand for the ceived. The government is Parliament women’s reservation bill ready for discussions on all building will be back in focus as issues adhering to the several Opposition parties rules of the House and as that had blocked it earlier now per the advice of the Chair,” Parliawant it introduced and passed in mentary Affairs Minister Pralhad this session itself. The matter was Joshi later told the media. P r ee t h a N a i r & R a je s h K u m a r T h a k u r @ New Delhi HC allows termination of 33-week pregnancy Ja i s o n W i l s o n @ New Delhi THE Delhi High Court on Tuesday allowed a married woman to medically terminate her 33-weekold cerebral abnormal foetus, recognising the mother’s choice as ultimate decision in such cases. In the 33-page order, Justice Prathiba M Singh noted there is considerable doubt and risk involved in the unborn child’s chances of leading a dignified and self-sustaining life. “The lingering question as to whether the child would be selfsustaining or not, tilts the court’s mind in favour of the plea of the petitioner,” the order said. The court said that it has clear- Mother’s choice ultimate, says court The court said the right of a woman to terminate her pregnancy has been a matter of debate across the world. This right gives the woman the ultimate choice as to whether she wants to give birth to the child she has conceived. “India is among the countries which recognises this choice of a woman in its law,” the court said ly been able to gauge the mental trauma affecting the parents, their economic and social conditions, and also the fact that the petitioner is taking a cautious and well-informed decision. Archana says she will expose everyone E x p r e s s New s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar ARCHANA Nag, prime accused in the sex and extortion scandal, on Tuesday dropped a bombshell claiming she has evidence against a lot of people and will disclose details at an appropriate time. “I just need time. I have all the evidence. I have been framed and will prove it,” said the 26-year-old whose arrest had opened a can of worms with political leaders from various political parties, offic- ers and businessmen dragged into the scandal. Archana, who was taken for medical examination before her remand to Enforcement Directorate (ED), told mediapersons she has been framed. “Bhubaneswar Police arrested me in a hush hush manner. Was I a terrorist? Why was there no press meet to announce my ar rest?” she asked. She said details of the case from the time her associate Shradhanjali Behera first went to Laxmi Sagar police station 19K families to lose PMAY houses if land not given by Dec 15 E x p r e s s New s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar Neymar celebrates his goal against South Korea in Doha on Monday | AP Samba to the four Brazil enthralled with a performance of the highest magnitude as they beat South Korea 4-1. A look... First-half exhibition The five-time champions, who had scored only thrice coming into the round of 16, were all full of style and verve in a magisterial first 45 minutes. Flicks, tricks and skills were on full display as they scored four in the first 36 minutes. It was not just the number of goals but the way they scored them that caught the eye To play Croatia IN QUARTERS Their last eight encounter against Croatia, 2018 finalists, could be a markedly different affair. Brazil, for starters, do have a weakness against elite European teams (each of their last four World Cup KO defeats have come against them) and Croatia will reduce the tempo, make the game ugly and take it from there Extra Time The match between Morocco and Spain in the round of 16 of the World Cup in Doha has gone to P11 extra time with the score levelled at 0-0  Belagavi tense as border dispute spirals The border dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra over claims for the border district of Belagavi intensified on Tuesday, as vehicles from both sides came under attack AROUND 19,000 landless families of the state will lose housing assistance under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) if the state government doesn’t provide homestead land by December 15, 2022. In a recent circular to states, the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has made it clear that the allocated target to landless beneficiaries will be withdrawn and the same will be re-allocated to better performing states. “All the States/UTs are requested to provide land to landless PMAY-G beneficiaries on priority and sanction houses to landless beneficiaries by December 15, 2022. If the States/UTs fail to do so, the allocated target linked to the landless PMAY-G beneficiaries would be withdrawn from the State/UT and the same will be re-allocated to other better performing States/ UTs,” said MoRD deputy director general Gaya Prasad. Report furnished by the state government to MoRD said it has either provided land or monetary assistance for purchase of land to 39,089 out of 57,932 landless persons for housing assistance. The remaining 18,843 identified beneficiaries are waiting for a piece of land for a long time. In many cases land allocated to the beneficiaries are in dispute. As the timeline to finish construction of houses under the PMAY-G has been extended from March 2022 to March 2024, the Centre is in no mood to give further extension in view of the next general elections. In an earlier communication in September, MoRD had informed to impose penalty in the shape of deduction of Central share to states with effect from October 1, 2022 for delay in sanction and construction of houses under the flagship PMAY. In 2021-22, the Centre sanctioned 8,17,513 houses to the state but a majority of the beneficiaries have not received allotment order from the government CONTINUED ON P5 yet. TMC’s Gokhale held for spreading fake news on Modi D i l i p S i n g h K s h at r i ya @ Ahmedabad Trinamool Congress spokesperson Saket Gokhale was on Tuesday arrested by the Gujarat Police for tweeting an alleged fake news on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Morbi following a tragic bridge collapse there. “Gokhale was arrested in Jaipur, Rajasthan, during the early hours on Tuesday by the Gujarat Police and brought to Ahmedabad,” based on a complaint filed by a citizen, the police informed. An Ahmedabad court later “She has understood as to what termination of pregnancy entails at such an advanced stage. This court is convinced that, as a mother, she has weighed the same with the unpredictability and the risks involved, considering the condition of the foetus,” it said. The court also observed that the medical board, in the present case, has not been able to predict or give a categorical opinion as to the degree of handicap or as to the quality of life of the child after birth, with certainty. In the mind of the court, such unpredictability and risks ought to weigh in favour of the woman seeking ter mination of pregnancy . remanded him in police custody for two days. Before entering the court, Gokhale told the media, “it was very sad that he was arrested for a tweet on the PM’s visit.” As many as 136 people had died in the bridge collapse on October 30. Gokhale tweeted an allegedly clipping in a Gujarati daily citing an RTI reply on the cost of that Modi’s visit to Morbi. But government officials denied putting out any information un- der RTI, and the newspaper denied publishing it, Assistant Commissioner of Police Jitendra Yadav said. West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee stood by Gokhale saying he made no mistake and condemned what she called the BJP government’s vindictive attitude. Gokhale has been booked under IPC sections 469 (forgery), 471 (using forged document), 501 (defamation), and 505(b) (public mischief). to lodge a complaint in September till an FIR was registered at Khandagiri police station must be analysed. Archana’s hint at a wellmanaged conspiracy stems from the fact that Shradhanjali had first lodged a complaint with Laxmi Sagar police station alleging sexual exploitation by an Odia filmmaker. Days later, the filmmaker filed a case of extortion and criminal intimidation against Shradhanjali and Archana. No police action was taken till then. However, a few days later, Shradhanjali lodged an FIR with Khandagiri police accusing Archana and two others of extorting many people by way of blackmail. Soon Bhubaneswar Police swung into action and arrested Archana on October 6. The matter remained under wraps till media wind of it. Soon, photographs of prominent persons with Archana made rounds and all kinds of conspiracy theories came to float. Meanwhile, ED which secured her remand began inter- rogation on Tuesday in connection with the money laundering case registered against her and three others. ED sources said Archana reached the central agency’s headquarters after 12 noon and her interrogation continued till over 8 pm. “Financial transactions of more than `2 crore have been traced in the bank accounts of Archana and her husband Jagabandhu Chand in the last four to five years. She will be questioned about all these transactions,” said ED sources.