BHUBANESWAR  TUESDAY  APRIL 15, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 12  LATE CITY EDITION BLUE ORIGIN LAUNCHES ALL-WOMAN CELEBRITY CREW ON SPACE FLIGHT Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin launched his fiancee Lauren Sanchez into space Monday with an allfemale celebrity crew that included Katy Perry 10-MINUTE-LONG FLIGHT TOOK OFF FROM TEXAS US’ FIRST SPACEFLIGHT WITH WOMEN CREW The New Shepard rocket blasted off on the quick up-and-down trip from West Texas. The fringes of space beckoned some 65 miles (105 kilometers) up, promising a few precious minutes of weightlessness. Sanchez, a helicopter pilot and former TV journalist, invited the others for the 10-minute flight, packing on star power with Perry and Gayle King ■ ■ Blue Origin declined to say how much the flight cost or who paid what. The trip came two months before Sanchez and Bezos marry The celebrity launch of the space flight was the nation’s first where an all-women crew filled seats. The other all-female crew in 64 years of human spaceflight was in 1963 helmed by Valentina Tereshkova 11th HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT FOR THE WASHINGTON STATE-BASED COMPANY 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 India intensifies bid to extradite fugitive Choksi Cannot retain seized property indefinitely: HC to courts, agencies E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Cuttack GUIDELINES THE Orissa High Court has issued a set of guidelines for the courts and investigating authorities in the state to ensure that seized property is not retained indefinitely without valid legal justification. By implementing the guidelines, the high court expected the courts and law enforcement agencies to ensure that seized property is managed in an efficient and legally sound manner beneficial to both the justice system and society at large. The single judge bench of Justice Sibo Sankar Mishra issued the procedures recently while directing the release of `15 lakh cash seized by CBI during investigation into a multicrore unauthorised deposit collection scam. The petition was filed by the accused, owner of a Ponzi company . Justice Mishra ordered release of `15 lakh subject to the condition that the petitioner furnishes bank guarantee equivalent to 50 per cent (`7.50 lakh) which shall remain valid until the conclusion of the trial and securing the remaining 50 per cent through indemnification of any immovable property or other financial security as an assurance against potential liabilities arising from the case. “The court finds no justifiable reason to retain the seized cash in judicial custody when its circulation could contribute to economic activity without compromising the investigation or trial proceedings,” Jus-  Release of seized cash upon fulfilment of appropriate conditions or imposition of security bonds ARSON ATTACK Now, Waqf Act protests spread to South Bengal S U L A G N A S E N G U P TA @Kolkata CLASHES erupted between police and Indian Secular Front (ISF) members protesting against the Waqf (Amendment) Act at Bhangor in South 24-Parganas district of West Bengal on Monday when police put up a barricade to stop the protesters from marching towards Kolkata. A large police force was deployed to bring the situation under control. “What started as a demonstration escalated and took a communal colour,” said an eyewitness. The situation in violence-hit Murshidabad was tense, yet under control after three days of protests. Many shops have reopened and families displaced by the clashes have started to return homes. Zafarabad, Suti, Dhuliyan, Shamsherganj, and Jangipur are the areas worsthit by the violence. In Zafrabad, a large number of houses and shops belonging to Hindus were reportedly set ablaze, forcing many to flee. Temples were vandalised during the unrest. The Calcutta High Court had to instruct that Central forces be deployed in Murshidabad along with the state police. Police vehicles set on fire by members of Indian Secular Front | PTI  Bank deposits/FDs may be released against varied amount of property securities or bank guarantee Team to travel to Belgium to seek custody of arrested diamantaire named in PNB scam HONOURING BABASAHEB WITH GRACE  Precious items should be stored in proper lockers under court supervision President Droupadi Murmu with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union minister J P Nadda, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Sonia Gandhi during a ceremony to pay tribute to B R Ambedkar on his birth anniversary, in New Delhi on Monday. There was a generous show of courtesy and grace from all sides at the event | PTI  Seized vehicles, liquor, narcotics, electronic goods, perishable goods, etc. should be kept in a secure facility to prevent damage As promised, T’gana first off the blocks on SC sub-quota  Items no longer required for investigation or trial should be returned to owner  Time-bound review mechanism to prevent unnecessary accumulation of seized goods tice Mishra opined in the Aril 10 order, adding, “The primary objective should be to prevent unnecessary storage, avoid wastage of resources, and ensure that valuable assets retain their utility keeping in mind the investigation and trial process is not compromised.” He directed that magistrates should take proactive measures to ensure that seized property is not retained for an extended period without justification. Court directives for the return or disposal of property should be issued without undue delay Investigating . officers must regularly report on seized property and seek judicial orders for its appropriate handling. CONTINUED ON P5 EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE GROUP-1 @ Hyderabad TELANGANA on Monday became the first state in the country to implement SC categorisation, with the state government issuing GOs notifying the Telangana Scheduled Caste (Rationalisation of Reservation) Act, 2025, its guidelines as well as roster points. “On the auspicious day of the birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar, the Telangana state government paid the best tributes by bringing into force a great Act of social justice addressing a long overdue demand of classification of SC sub-castes,” Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said in a post on social media. In its August 1, 2024 verdict, the Supreme Court had upheld the power of states to Break-up of 15% SC quota 1% reservation for 15 castes (3.2% of SC population) legislate separate quotas within the SC category. The same day, the chief minister declared in the state assembly that Telangana would lead the nation in legislating sub-categorisation. The Telangana Scheduled Caste (Rationalisation of Reservation) Act creates three distinct bunches within the existing 15% SC reservation based on population and socio-economic indicators. Group-1, consisting of 15 castes with 3.2% of SC population, will get 1% share in the quota pie; Group-2 with GROUP-2 9% 5% reservation for 18 castes (62.74% of SC population) AS the state immersed in the celebrations of Maha Vishuba Sankranti on Monday, a 55-year-old man was hacked to death by a group in Bolagarh, about 67 km from the state capital, after he reportedly created nuisance inside a temple under the influence of alcohol. The deceased Pratap Sethi was a native of Gudia Sahi within Bolagarh police limits in Khurda. Sethi, reportedly in an inebriated state, entered the Shiva temple in his village during the Pana Sankranti rituals. He even attempted to touch the feet of the deity when one of the accused persons stopped him. Sources said, Sethi reportedly assaulted him for opposing his entry into the temple. After a few hours, Sethi and his family members again went to the person’s house to confront him and a heated exchange broke out between them. The latter’s supporters rushed to his rescue and a brawl broke out between the two groups. During the time, at least five persons attacked Sethi with sharp weapons and fled. He sustained injuries in his chest and was rushed to a hospital where the doctors declared him received dead. His son Rasananda Sethi was also injured in the attack but his condition is stated to be stable. Police said the identity of three accused persons involved in the crime have been established and a search operation has been launched to nab them. Some of the accused persons have criminal antecedents, they added. “A scientific team visited the spot to carry out investigation at the crime scene. Special teams have been formed under the supervision of SDPO to nab the culprits at the earliest,” said Khurda SP, Sagarika Nath. DIVINE TOUCH Prayer and devotional songs ahead of every match: LSG’s traditional touch F I R O Z M I R Z A @ Lucknow THERE are different rituals teams perform before a series or a season. And sometimes before every match. There are beliefs each team has. Lucknow Super Giants is one such team this IPL to follow a more traditional and pious path to invoke the spirits. Unlike other franchises, Lucknow Super Giants perform a Puja at the South Corridor, South Block here at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow followed by Ganesh Aarti before every match. Even when Lucknow were to face Chennai Super Kings on Monday . The soothing voice of famous singer Anuradha Paudwal fills the air with devotional songs spreading positivity “Yes, we perform Puja before . every home match here at the venue,” Vinay Chopra, LSG’s chief executive officer, told this daily. The practice is an attempt to inculcate Indian tradition in the league. The puja is performed in the presence of LSG skipper Rishabh Pant on way to half century against CSK on Tuesday | AFP whosoever is available in the team management. It’s not that other teams do not perform Puja or follow religious rituals. But most of them perform it at the beginning of the season. Take for instance, Punjab Kings, whose home games are being hosted in relatively newer venue Mullanpur, Chandigarh. They organised a Havan (a sacred fire ritual) at the venue with head coach Ricky Ponting, players and other support staff attending the reservation for 26 castes (33.96% of SC population) 18 castes and 62% population get 9% share, while Group-3 with 26 castes and 33.96% population have been awarded the remaining 5%. This restructuring follows long-standing demands for equitable distribution of reservation benefits among all SC sub-castes, particularly from the Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS). A one-man commission under Justice Shameem Akhtar drafted the bill which was passed during the recent Budget session of the assembly on March 17. Drunk man killed in clash after temple ruckus E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Bhubaneswar GROUP-3 customary practice. “Yes, we hold religious rituals ahead of the tournament seeking blessings of God. A prayer will also be organised before PBKS’s first game in Dharamsala,” a PBKS spokesperson told this daily . Given the importance of the Monday’s game, Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan has also accompanied the team to Lucknow. When asked about any customary practice the team follows at Chepauk, he said, “I am a devotee of Ganesha so I offer prayer everyday. There are individuals who like to pray before matches and they do so but collectively as a team we do not offer prayers.” LSG might be different in this sense but the pious beginning in following Indian traditions is certainly a commendable step. On the ground though things did not go the way they would have wanted. The visiting team restricted them to just 166 runs in their allotted 20 overs. CSK overhauled the target in the last over. The Lucknow team is fourth on the IPL points table. J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi THE Indian government has intensified efforts to extradite fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi following his April 12 arrest in Antwerp, Belgium. Sources said a multi-agency Indian team is likely to travel to Belgium to push for Choksi’s extradition in connection with the `13,000 crore PNB loan fraud case. The process will need to pass through Belgium’s domestic legal system. Earlier this year, India submitted an extradition request under a 2020 bilateral treaty after learning that Choksi was residing in Antwerp. Belgian authorities executed an Indian arrest warrant after the Antwerp Public Prosecutor’s Office deemed the foreign warrant enforceable. The arrest was carried out as Choksi was allegedly preparing to move to Switzerland. Choksi seemed to have submitted “forged documents” to obtain residency, concealing his Indian and Antiguan citizenship. “He is being detained and further judicial proceedings are awaited and as per the local law, access to his legal counsel has been assured,” sources said. “The India and Belgium treaty... covers fraud, money laundering, cheating and economic crimes related to taxa- File picture of Mehul Choksi. He is in Antwerp after being denied bail | ANI tion and revenue — many of them relevant in case of Mehul Choksi. We are working on the extradition process and we have already shared all the necessary documents with the Belgium authorities,” sources said. The ED and CBI have been pursuing Choksi’s extradition. Choksi had fled India in 2018. Both Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are wanted for allegedly defrauding Punjab National Bank (PNB) of over `13,500 crore in 2018. PNB had filed a criminal complaint naming Choksi, Modi, and the managing director of Gitanjali Gems, for orchestrating the fraud. Choksi’s lawyer Vijay Agarwal said the grounds for an appeal would be that Choksi is “not a flight risk, is extremely sick and undergoing treatment for cancer”. EXPRESS READ One more murder makes five in five days in Rourkela city Ghatagaon Maa Tarini temple revamp to commence soon: CM Rourkela: Rourkela seems to be in the grip of a murder epidemic as another brutal killing of a 60-year-old man rocked the steel city on Sunday night. Twenty-two-year-old Bishnu Verma beat his father Kranti Kumar Verma to death with an iron pipe at Bhalupatra village in Brahmani Tarang, around 10 km from Rourkela city. Kranti, a convicted felon, was released from jail in December 2024 | P4 Keonjhar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday said the state government is chalking out a `215 crore DPR for development of Ghatagaon Maa Tarini Temple in Keonjhar. During his visit to the temple, he said groundbreaking ceremony will be conducted once the DRP gets the nod and work begins on the project. The OBCC has invited tender for the project which will be completed in two years | P4