FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. XLII No. 204 | INDORE | TUESDAY | DECEMBER 30, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 10 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 FREE www.freepressjournal.in Sports Two World Champions, One Divided Federation P.14 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE MONEY BANKS’ BAD LOANS DECLINE SC pauses own order on Aravalli definition NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Monday stayed its recent judgment on the Aravalli Hills, saying that clarifications were necessary on the definitions approved last month and that a fresh, independent expert assessment was required before the directions could be implemented. A Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice AG Masih ordered that the recommendations of the earlier committee and the Court’s own findings on the issue “shall remain in abeyance” until further orders. The matter will be taken up again on January 21, 2026, Bar & Bench and Live Law report. The order was passed in a suo motu case initiated by the Court following widespread protests and concerns that the revised definition of the Aravalli Hills could pose a threat to the ecologically sensitive fp Briefs VISAKHAPATNAM One killed in train fire The fire in the TatanagarErnakulam Express started from the linen storage, according to the initial investigation by the Railway authorities. A passenger died in the fire in two coaches of the train at Yelamanchili in Anakapalli district in the wee hours of Monday.Initial investigation shows that the fire was not on the electrical panel side of the coach. NEW DELHI Unnao case: SC stays HC order The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Delhi High Court order suspending the life sentence of expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case and said he shall not be released from custody. A vacation bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices J K Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih, which was hearing the CBI's plea challenging the high court order, said that substantial questions of law have arisen in the matter that require consideration. See Nation The Court flagged concerns about whether regulated mining could be allowed in the 500-metre gaps between hills, and whether such permissions could compromise ecological continuity. It noted apprehensions that only a small fraction of hills met the 100-metre elevation threshold mountain range by opening up large areas to mining. “We direct that recommendations of the committee and findings of the Supreme Court … shall remain in abeyance till then,” the Bench said. The Court said it would constitute a new committee of independent experts to study the environmental impact of the recommendations made by the earlier panel, which was largely comprised of bureaucrats. According to the Bench, an independent expert opinion was necessary to resolve ambiguities and provide definitive guidance on the definition of the Aravalli Hills and ranges. Appearing for the Union government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said there were “a lot of misconceptions regarding orders, the government’s role, etc.” He submitted that an expert committee had earlier been constituted, its report was submitted, and the Court had accepted it. However, the Bench said there was a need to examine whether the restrictive demarcation approved last month had, in effect, broadened the scope of areas where mining could be permitted. 4Continued on | P8 Birthday bash turns fatal for three friends in Vidisha Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Three friends, including the birthday boy, were killed and three others seriously injured when their SUV rammed a stationary dumper on Kurwai–Vidisha road in early hours of Monday, police said. The six friends were returning to Kurwai after celebrating a birthday at dhaba on State Highway 14. Kurwai police station in-charge Shailendra Nayak said the accident occurred around 1.30 am. Police said the SUV was travelling at high speed and the impact was so severe that police rushed to the spot and launched a difficult rescue operation. Cutters and earthmoving machinery were used to pull vicout of Tanmay Sharma, Jagdish Sahu and Ankit Sahu tims twisted metal. Despite efforts, three youths died on the spot. Police identified deceased as Ankit Sahu (21), a private firm worker; Tanay Sharma (19) and Jagdish Sahu (31), a the front portion of the vehicle shop owner who was driving was completely mangled, the vehicle. trapping occupants inside. 4Continued on | P8 On receiving information, 200 get anti-rabies shots after milk from dog-bitten buffalo used for raita PTI BUDAUN Nearly 200 residents of Piprauli village in Uttar Pradesh's Budaun got rabies vaccination as a precautionary measure after they discovered that the raita (a curd-based dish) they consumed at the funeral was made from the milk of a buffalo that died after being bitten by a dog. According to the villagers, a funeral ceremony was held in the village on December 23, where they had raita. Later, it came to light that the buffalo whose milk was used to make the dish had been bitten by a dog a few days earlier. The buffalo died on December 26, after which panic spread in the village due to the fear of infection. The villagers reached the Ujhani community health centre and got vaccinated. Chief Medical Officer Dr Rameshwar Mishra on Sunday said that they had received information that a buffalo in the village had been bitten by a rabid dog and had died due to symptoms of rabies. It was reported that the villagers had consumed 'infected' raaita. As a precaution, everyone was advised to get a rabies injection. "Prevention is better than cure. Everyone who had any doubts was given the antirabies vaccine. Normally, there is no risk of rabies after boiling the milk, but the vaccination was done to prevent any potential risk," Mishra said. According to the health department, no disease has spread in the village so far, and the situation is completely normal. 4Continued on | P8 RS 79,000 CR WORTH DEFENCE PROCUREMENTS OKAYED PTI NEW DELHI The defence ministry on Monday approved procurement of long range rockets, missiles, radar systems and military platforms worth Rs 79,000 crore to bolster the military's combat prowess. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, green-lighted the proposals. The DAC approved procurement of loiter munition systems for the Army's artillery regiments. It also cleared acquisition of low level lightweight radars, long-range guided rocket ammunition for Pinaka rocket system and integrated drone detection and interdiction system (Mk-II) for the Indian Army, the defence ministry said. 4See also | Nation offgrid Kaundinya charts history, stitch by stitch FP News Service MUMBAI The Indian Navy has quite literally stitched history back to life. On Monday, the Indian Naval Sailing Vessel INSV Kaundinya ( meaning a sage or wise person in Sanskrit ) slipped out of Porbandar’s waters and into the Arabian Sea, beginning her maiden transoceanic voyage to Muscat. The departure was ceremonial, but the ship itself is anything but symbolic fluff. Built without a single metal nail, inspired by a 5th-century ship painted on cave walls, and stitched together by hand using coconut fibre, Kaundinya carries the weight of India’s forgotten maritime PRESS PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit New alliances in BMC polls P.6 Cinema K-drama comebacks that didn’t click P.16 DEFINITION DISPUTE | Apex court says further probe needed to resolve ‘critical ambiguities’, prevent any regulatory gaps FP News Service UJJAIN genius into open seas. Flagged off from Porbandar’s Coast Guard Jetty in the presence of Oman’s Ambassador Issa Saleh Abdullah Saleh Al Shibani and Western Naval Command chief Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, the voyage retraces ancient trade routes once crowded with Indian merchants, monks and mariners. 4Continued on | P8 OP SINDOOR STANDOFF US CONFERS AWARD FOR ‘CEASEFIRE NEGOTIATIONS’ Hindu homes burnt in B’desh vived, but their homes, belongings and pets were completely destroyed. Police have said the exact cause of the fire is yet to be conclusively established. However, preliminary accounts suggest that inflammable material may have been deliberately placed inside one of the rooms and set alight, allowing the blaze to engulf adjoining structures within minutes. A video of locals attempting to douse the fire as flames leapt across rooftops has since circulated widely on social media. The Pirojpur incident comes amid heightened tension following a series of violent episodes linked to blasphemy allegations. Just days earlier, a young Hindu garment worker was lynched by a mob in Mymensingh and his body set on fire, sending shockwaves through minority communities. US President Donald Trump on Sunday insisted Ukraine and Russia are "closer than ever before" to a peace deal as he hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Florida resort, but he acknowledged the negotiations are complex and could still break down, leaving the war dragging on for years. The president's statements came after the leaders met for talks following what Trump said was an "excellent", two-and-a-half-hour phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose invasion of Ukraine launched the war nearly four years ago. Trump insisted he believed Putin still wants peace, even as Russia launched another round of attacks on Ukraine while Zelenskyy flew to the United States for the latest round of negotiations. "Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed," Trump said during a late afternoon news conference as he stood with Zelenskyy after their meeting. He repeatedly praised his counterpart as "brave". 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 FP News Service Ricky Gill, an Indian-origin American who serves as Special Assistant to US President Donald Trump and Senior Director for South and Central Asia at the National Security Council, has been awarded the NSC’s Distinguished Action Award for his role in what the official US citation describes as “India–Pakistan ceasefire negotiations”. 4Continued on | P8 AP PALM BEACH MUMBAI The United States has conferred one of the National Security Council’s highest internal commendations on an official for a diplomatic role that India insists never existed, deepening an already awkward divergence in narratives between New Delhi and Washington. Ukraine-Russia closer than ever to peace: Trump FP News Service MUMBAI A pre-dawn fire that reduced multiple houses of a Hindu family to ashes in southern Bangladesh has once again exposed the deepening insecurity faced by religious minorities in the country. The incident occurred on Dec 28 in Dumritola village of Pirojpur district, around 240 km from Dhaka, where at least five houses belonging to the Saha family were destroyed in what is widely suspected to be a targeted attack. Family members said they were asleep when they were jolted awake by intense heat and smoke. Panic turned to terror when they realised the doors had allegedly been locked from the outside, trapping them inside the burning homes. With flames spreading rapidly, the families managed a desperate escape by cutting through tin sheets and bamboo fencing. All eight members sur- Tiger chills on bed after attacking villager Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL A three-year-old tiger injured a villager before entering a house in Choti Beldi village, near Panpatha buffer area of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, on Monday. The tiger was later rescued and taken to Baheraha enclosure of the reserve. An officer from Panpatha range told Free Press that the tiger was first spotted in a field around 9 am. Forest officials attacked villager Gopal Kol, injuring his leg. He was immediately taken to Katni Government Hospital by ambulance and is reported to be out of danger. The tiger then entered the house of Durga Prasad Dwivedi and chose to rest on the bed. Dwivedi’s family ran in panic to save themselves. A video of the tiger resting on the bed quickly went viral on social media. Forest officials safely sedated the tiger. It was then transported back to tiger reserve using a rescue vehicle rushed to the spot to control the situation, but by then, a large crowd of villagers had gathered, many recording the tiger’s movements on their mobile phones. Despite repeated instructions, the crowd did not disperse. During the chaos, the tiger 4Continued on | P8