DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2020, KOLKATA, LATE CITY, 12 PAGES SINCE 1932 `5.00/EX-KOLKATA `6.00 (`12 IN NORTH EAST STATES &ANDAMAN) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM THE EDITORIAL PAGE INTERROGATION BY ENFORCEMENT DIRECTORATE WARAGAINSTTHE VIRUS Statement of key accused BY RAJIB DASGUPTA PAGE 6 mentions Kamal Nath’s Bail pleas of son, Khurshid, Patel, journalist, another: SC web of offshore firms says why Kamal Nath says son (Bakul Nath) NRI, no records to show not go to HC links; Khurshid says no connection with anyofthe accused APURVAVISHWANATH NEWDELHI,NOVEMBER16 AGUSTA OBSERVINGTHATitis“trying to WESTLAND DEAL discourage” individuals from fil- ing petitions under Article 32 of the Constitution —whichgrants GRIEF individuals the right to approach the topcourtseeking enforce- Familymembers at the funeral of 20-year-old jawanRushikesh Jondhale, who waskilledinfiring from across the Line of Control at ment of fundamental rights—a Gurez in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, at Bahirewadi villageinKolhapur on Monday. PTI Supreme Courtbenchheadedby Chief Justice of India SABobde sought responses from the CONFESSIONS RajivSaxena told ED about the weboftransactions between Centreand the Uttar Pradesh PM ASSURES ‘ALL POSSIBLE HELP’ TO BIHAR his firm and that of Christian Michel (left) with entities government in aplea seeking the OFKEYACCUSED ownedbyKamal Nath’s nephewRatul Puri (right) release of Kerala-basedjournal- PART1 istSiddique Kappan. “Whycan’t yougotothe high Nitishswornin,BJPpickstwo extradited from Dubai in January These showseveral alleged court?” the benchremarked RITUSARIN 2019 and wasinterrogatedby hawala transactions and acom- while hearing aplea filedbythe NEWDELHI,NOVEMBER16 the Enforcement Directorate, plexweb of offshorestructures Kerala Union of Working whichattachedhis assets worth that Saxena admitted to setting Journalists challenging the jour- NOT JUSTformer Madhya Rs 385crore.The ED is nowbe- up forthe co-accused. nalist's arrest. DyCMsinNDAsocialbalancing Pradesh Chief MinisterKamal fore the Supreme Courtinabid The crux of Saxena’s state- The same benchreferreda Nath’s nephewRatul Puri but his to divest Saxena of his approver ment details howalleged kick- similar case invoking Article 32 son Bakul Nath, too, along with status forallegedly notfullydis- backs of the Augusta Westland —whichinvolvedSameet 15 ministers take oath: 7BJP,6JD(U), 1eachVIP,HAM; BJP gets Speaker post Congress leaders Salman closing the factsofthe case. deal —itwas cancelledbythe Thakkar,aNagpur resident who Khurshid and AhmedPatel, finds Saxena’s statement,running CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 had challenged the multiple FIRs Morcha(Secular). mention in the interrogation intoover1,000pages (including againsthim foralleged deroga- SANTOSHSINGH Union Home MinisterAmit statementsofRajiv Saxena, char- supporting documents) wasac- tory tweets againstMaharashtra PATNA,NOVEMBER16 Shah and BJP national president teredaccountant and keyac- cessedbyThe Indian Express TOMORROW: CM UddhavThackeray and his JPNadda were among those cusedinthe Rs 3,000-crore along with copies of banking HOW KICKBACKS ministers —tothe high court, ob- NITISH KUMAR took oath as who attendedthe ceremony. Augusta Westland VVIP chopper statements, records of offshore FLOWED INTO INDIAN serving that “evenhigh courts Bihar Chief Ministerfor the sev- Congratulating Nitish, Prime deal case. companies, and email corre- INVESTMENTS can uphold fundamental rights”. enth time on Mondaywith two MinisterNarendraModi Saxena, currentlyonbail, was spondence between keyplayers. Kappan, 41,and three others Deputy Chief Ministers from the tweeted: “The NDAfamilywill were arrested while on their BJP —four-time Katihar MLA work together forthe progress of waytoHathras to reportanal- TarkishorePrasad and four-time Bihar.Iassureall possible sup- Moderna says leged incident of gangrape and Bettiah MLARenu Devi. portfromthe Centrefor the wel- Study on benefits, murder.UPPolice have alleged Atotal of 15 ministers were fare of Bihar.” that Kappan, 41,and twomem- administeredthe oath of office The BJP's former deputy chief vaccine 95% bers of the Campus Front of by Bihar Governor Phagu minister, Sushil Kumar Modi, costs helped govt India (CFI) were partofa“con- Chauhan —seven from the BJP, who has been droppedthis time, effective; may spiracy” to inflame religious en- including TarkishorePrasad and maybeaccommodated at the mity over the Hathras rape, and Renu Devi; six from the JD(U), in- Centrce, but thereisnoofficial firm up RCEP stand be promising booked them on various cluding Nitish; and one each Nitish with deputy CMs TarkishorePrasad and Renu Devi, word yet. Sushil Modi firstbe- charges, including under the from the Vikassheel Insaan Party afterswearing-in, in Patna Monday. PTI MOREREPORTS,P8 came Deputy Chief Ministerin option in India stringent UAPA and sedition. (VIP) and Hindustani Awam CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Deal inked on Sunday, RCEP members Senior advocateKapil Sibal, representing the journalists' keep the door open forIndia to return PRABHARAGHAVAN union, arguedthat the Supreme NEWDELHI,NOVEMBER16 Courthas intervenedinsimilar BUSINESSASUSUAL BJP’s challenge: Wider RJD base, cases in the pastwhereArticle PRABHARAGHAVAN THE AMERICAN biotechnology 32 had been invoked. BY UNNY &ANILSASI companyModerna announced “Weare awareofour powers Left revival, its own new faces NEWDELHI,NOVEMBER16 on Mondaythat early resultsof under Article 32,” CJI Bobde ob- itslarge ongoing late-stage trials served,issuing the notices and thenew government Monday Modi’s ejection from statepoli- AN INTERNAL assessment of of avaccine candidateagainst listing the case forhearing on RAVISHTIWARI underlinedhow the party is tics underlinedthis signal. India’s bilateral free trade agree- the novelcoronavirus had November 20. NEWDELHI,NOVEMBER16 bracing forwhat it sees as the The party maybeputting up mentswith nine countries, in- showedanefficacy of 94.5 per On November 11,while grant- challenges of its2020 mandate. abrave face citing itswin in 74 cluding five signatories of the cent —anoutcome that sur- ing interim bail to Republic TVed- IN TERMS of powerpolitics, re- The choice of two—not one seatsbut sources note that this Regional Comprehensive Zhong Shan, Li Keqiang of passedthe expectations of re- itor-in-chief Arnab Goswami, the taining the government in Bihar —Deputy Chief Ministers, isn’t itsbestperformance in al- Economic Partnership (RCEP), China at avirtual RCEP event searchers. Supreme Courthad asked every is an achievement the BJP has TarkishorePrasad and Renu Devi, liance with the JD(U). It had won playedapivotal role in the gov- in Hanoi, Monday. Reuters The Moderna resultsoffer high courttoexercise itsjurisdic- been talking up since the results reflectshow the BJP is address- 91 Assemblyseats(of 102itcon- ernment firming itsposition strong hope that vaccines that tion“to protect liberty… the ulti- came in. But the shuffling in its ing the churn from the word go. tested)in2010inalliance with againstjoining the megatrade Looming would defeat the deadlyvirus matereason forour existence as rankswith the swearing-in of Indeed,former Deputy CM Sushil CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 pact. The assessment showeda that had until Mondaysickened constitutional courts”. “moderateutilisation rate”of shadowof over 54.5 million and killedmore CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Free Trade Agreements(FTAs) China than 1.3million people world- overafive-year period, and a wide were finallywithin sight — trade deficit forIndia in most even though theyare unlikelyto cases, save in regard to SAARC NEW DELHI has cited be widelyavailable foratleast Govt incentives across sectors Alagiri set for own outfit, nations, TheIndianExpress concerns relating to severalmoremonths. has learnt. countries using tariff, as Lastweek,Pfizer-BioNTech may join BJP-led alliance While the remaining RCEP well as inability to im- andthe Russian makers of the but bitter reality check for sugar members went ahead and inked plement auto-trigger Sputnik Vvaccine announced Sources in the stateBJP and adealonSunday—alittle over a safeguards fordomestic that their candidates had been The NarendraModi govern- SUGAR EXPORTS ARUNJANARDHANAN the Alagiri campconfirmed year afterPrime Minister industries, to argue that found to be over 90 per cent ef- HARISHDAMODARAN ment had, lastyear,providedan CHENNAI,NOVEMBER16 therehas been significant NarendraModi announcedIndia RCEP does notaddress fective in preliminaryresultsof NEWDELHI,NOVEMBER16 incentive of Rs 10,448 per tonne 60 — Quantity progress in the alliance talks. If waswalking out of negotiations itsissues. Steps by India phase 3human trials. 50 (inlakhtonnes) formillsto exportsugarduringthe 56.5 AFTER GETTINGactor-turned- everything goes as per the BJP's citing “significant outstanding is- targeting Chinese in- While Moderna does notyet 40 26 38 EVEN AS the Centrehas an- 2019-20 season (October- 30 27.82 politician Khushbu intoits fold, plan, Alagiri is likelytolauncha sues” —the bloc has made it vestmentscould also have an arrangement to supplyits nouncedproduction-linked in- September). That “lumpsum as- 20 the stateunit of the BJP is work- newpolitical outfit in Madurai clear that the door forIndia to re- run foul of RCEP if it vaccine in India —where8.8 mil- centivesworth some Rs 2lakh sistance” —towards expenses on ing towardsgetting the support on November 20 and meetAmit turn to the negotiating table will were to join the pact. lion