thrissur l tuesday l october 01, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Modi speaks to Bibi as Israel steps up lebanon campaign Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the situation in West Asia amid conflict in Lebanon Crucial to prevent escalation, says modi “Terrorism has no place in our world. It is crucial to prevent regional escalation and ensure the safe release of all hostages,” Modi wrote on X. Meanwhile, a report said Israeli forces have conducted small-scale, targeted raids in Lebanon in recent weeks. The Wall Street Journal reported that the troops entered tunnels dug by Hezbollah on the Lebanese side near border ■ 1,000 ‘Israeli special Forces enter Lebanon’ ■ Sources told the US daily that the raids are a precursor to a wider ground operation that could begin this week. The troops are tasked with gathering intel and destroying Hezbollah’s assets near the border Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant on Monday said Israel will use all its capabilities, including ground forces, to achieve its objectives | P9 people have been killed in the last two weeks, Lebanese authorities said 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 SC breather to Siddique in rape case E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi/Kochi In a relief for actor Siddique, the Supreme Court on Monday granted him interim protection from arrest in a rape case registered against him based on a complaint by an actress. While considering the actor’s petition, a bench comprising Justice Bela M Trivedi and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma issued notices to the state government and the victim and sought their replies within two weeks. Siddique had moved the apex court after the High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea on September 24. The actor has remained elusive ever since the bail was denied. “In the event of arrest of the petitioner in connection with the case registered by the Museum Police Station, Thiruvananthapuram, he shall be released on bail, subject to the conditions that may be imposed by the trial court and subject to his joining the investigation and remaining present before the investigating officer as and when called upon to do so, till First FIR registered based on Hema report testimony Kottayam: The Ponkunnam police have registered an FIR based on a complaint filed by a makeup artist based on the statement given to the Hema Committee. It is the first case registered after the HC directed authorities to go through the entire panel report and take action if any offences are made out in it. P5 the next date of hearing,” the court said. The prosecution stated that the accused sexually assaulted the victim at Mascot Hotel, Thiruvananthapuram, in 2016. There are witnesses and incriminating materials to establish that the petitioner and survivor were together in the hotel room. The offences alleged in the FIR registered by the Museum police station are under Section 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), it stated. During the hearing, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Siddique, submitted that other actors accused in rape cases have been granted bail by the trial court. The complaint was filed by the actress in 2024, after a lapse of eight years, ● More on P5 the counsel said.  ownership row HC sets 1-week deadline to take over six churches E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @Kochi The long-running OrthodoxJacobite Church dispute is on the boil again with the High Court on Monday ordering the respective district collectors to take possession of six churches in Ernakulam and Palakkad that are under the control of the Jacobite faction. The HC had earlier directed the Ernakulam collector to take possession of the St Mary’s Orthodox Church, Odakkali, St John’s Besphage Orthodox Syrian Church, Pothanickad, and St Thomas Orthodox Syrian Church, Mazhuvannoor. The Palakkad collector, said the HC, should take over the St Mary’s Orthodox Church, Mangalam dam, St Thomas Orthodox Syrian Church, Erickinchira and St Thomas Orthodox Syrian Church, Cherukunnam. Justice V G Arun orally observed that the court may summon the collectors as well as the chief secretary if the directive is not complied with. The court said it gave the government an opportunity by directing the collectors to take over the churches. But that did not mean the court was not serious about it, the HC said. “The takeover of the churches must happen in a week. Else, the officers including chief secretary will have to spend time in court,” the judge said, adjourning the case to October 7. When the contempt case came up for hearing, advocate Shyam Prasanth T S, government pleader, said a division bench had stayed the single judge order for 10 days on September 26. The division bench issued the order on the appeals filed by the Jacobite faction, and will consider the appeal at 2pm on Tuesday he said. , Yashasvi Jaiswal (left) scored 72 while R Ashwin took two wickets to reduce Bangladesh to 26/2 on Day 4 | PTI | P11 Records galore in Kanpur Batters give hosts pole position After bowling out Bangladesh for 233, India batters tormented visiting bowlers to rewrite records at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. They broke the record for the fastest team 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 in men’s Test cricket before declaring at 285/9 India broke an array of records to take the driver’s seat on day four of the second Test against Bangladesh Run-rate hits roof Throughout their first innings, India’s scoring rate never dropped down below eight which also is the highest in men’s Test innings (min 200 balls). Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (71 off 51) and KL Rahul (68 off 43) slammed a half-century each while skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli scored at a quick pace to give India a lead of 52 runs. R Ashwin then reduced the visitors to 26/2 giving India a hope of victory, which otherwise was heading for a draw after more than two days of no-play Special status for desi cows in poll-bound Maharashtra S u d h i r S u r ya w a n s h i @ Mumbai Ahead of Maharashtra assembly elections, the state cabinet on Monday decided to give ‘Rajyamata-Gomata’ status to indigenous cows. A government resolution said, “Since Vedic times, the significance of cows in human life is religious, scientific, and economical and hence it is called as Kamdhenu.” Desi cow milk has high nutritional value and is an important part of the human diet, the government resolution said. The resolution highlighted the concerns about the rapid fall in the number of desi cows in the state. “The newly-accorded status to the animal would encourage farmers to raise cows,” it added. Some of the indigenous cow breeds in Mahar- ashtra are Devni and Lalkandari in Marathwada, Khillar in western Maharashtra, Dangi in northern Maharashtra and Gavlau in Vidarbha. The cabinet also approved a proposal by the animal husbandry department to give a subsidy of `50 per day for each indigenous cow. In another major decision, the cabinet accepted the second and third reports of the Justice Shinde committee, set up to finalise the protocol for issuing Kunbi-Maratha and MarathaKunbi certificates based on historical records. The acceptance of the panel report by the state cabinet on Monday is seen as a significant move to placate the Maratha community protesting for inclusion in the OBC category, amid a backlash by backward communities. willing to return the 14 sites, Parvathy tells MUDA, asks it to cancel sale deed Siddu buys peace as wife offers to return all land Karthik KK & Bala Chauhan @ Mysuru / Bengaluru On a day the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathy BM and others in the MUDA site allotment case, a letter written by Parvathy to MUDA surfaced on Monday offering to surrender all the 14 plots that are at the heart of the controversy . In her emotional letter to the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) commissioner, which is undated, Parvathy requested swift action to take back all the sites. “I have never sought wealth, property or riches. I have lived , carefully, ensuring that no stain touches my husband’s political career due to my actions,” the letter read. Parvathy mentioned that she had not discussed her decision with her husband, her son — Dr Yathindra, who is an MLC, or other family members. “This is a decision I made after consulting my conscience. The day the allegations surfaced, I had made up my mind to return the plots. However, some well-wishers advised me to reconsider as they believed these accusations were politically motivated. But my decision remains unwavering,” she stated. “The land plots, which were given to me by my own brother as part of our family ties, have turned into a controversy I never imagined that these plots . could cause my husband to face unfair accusations,” she lamented. Earlier in the day the ED’s Bengalu, ru zonal office registered the case under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). ED These properties are like dust to me compared to the respect and peace of my husband — Parvathy B M, Siddaramaiah’s wife sources, on condition of anonymity, said the ECIR has been filed based on the FIR registered by the Mysuru unit of Karnataka Lokayukta last weekend. The Lokayukta police invoked charges of corruption, cheating and forgery against against Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathy his brother-in-law (Parvathy’s , brother) Mallikarjuna Swamy and a former landowner — Devaraju — from whom Swamy had purchased land and gifted it to Parvathy The FIR . mentions charges of corruption, cheating and forgery in the allotment of 14 MUDA housing sites in upscale Vijayanagar area of Mysuru to Parvathy in 2021 after her 3 acres, 16 guntas site in down-market Kesare outside of Mysuru city limits was acquired by MUDA for a layout. Earlier in the day, RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna had lodged a formal complaint with the ED. The 16-page complaint, a copy of which is with this newspaper, refers to a purported windfall of `55.8 crore to Siddaramaiah’s family through questionable means. Krishna alleged that there were ingredients of money laundering by the CM and his family members. The Lokayukta police booked the CM’s family on the direction of a special court hearing cases against current or former elected representatives, on September 25 on the basis of a private complaint by the RTI activist. E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kozhikode Continuing his tirade against the chief minister, estranged LDF MLA P V Anvar on Monday accused Pinarayi Vijayan of joining hands with the RSS to cut the roots of Kerala’s religious tolerance and amity . “People considered him (Pinarayi) their saviour; but he is committing treachery ,” Anvar said in Kozhikode, addressing a public meeting organised by the action committee spearheading the agitation demanding a fair probe into the disappearance of Muhammad Attar alias Mami. He said the change in CPM’s approach to the Sangh parivar occurred in the last one year. “I believe that the party’s stand on Uniform Civil Code and Citizenship Amendment Act was sincere. But the change occurred around a year ago, and the party should examine why that happened,” he said. Pinarayi is trying to project Malappuram as a crime hotspot, Anvar alleged. The CM raised the allegations against Malappuram in an interview to an English daily because he wanted the message to reach Delhi, he claimed. “The move to portray a particular community as criminals is dangerous,” he said. People from different parts of the country use Karipur airport, but Malappuram is targeted because the airport is situated in the district, he said. Citing a case from Peringathoor in Kannur district, Anvar said the mysterious death of a youth named Hashir was another example of the nexus between the police and the criminals. “Hashir, who was treated for drug addiction, had named some of the people who are part of the racket. Hashir’s father had alleged that his son was poisoned to death but no investigation took place in the case,” Anvar ● More on P4 said.  Mithun Da dances his way into the elite Dadasaheb Phalke club @ Chennai Veteran actor and BJP politician Mithun Chakraborty will be bestowed with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award—the government’s highest recognition in the field of cinema— this year. Once a sympathiser of the Naxal movement in Calcutta, Chakraborty became a Rajya Sabha MP on a Trinamool Congress ticket in 2014. However, he moved to the ruling BJP in 2021 ahead of the West Bengal Legislative As- sembly election that year. Earlier this year, he was also awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour in the country . Making the announcement on X on Monday Union Minis, ter for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw wrote, “Mithun Da’s remarkable cinematic journey inspires generations! Honoured to announce that the Dadasaheb Phalke Selection Jury has decided to award legendary actor, Sh. Mithun Chakraborty Ji for his iconic contribution to Indian Cinema.” The award will be presented at the 70th National Film Awards ceremony on October 8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reshared the post and wrote on X, “Delighted that Shri Mithun Chakraborty Ji has been conferred the I only wish to tell everyone that if I have reached this far, why can’t you? You should have the dedication and motivation. You should have the resilience to face difficult situations —Mithun Chakraborty ED’s ECIR has been registered based on an FIR filed by the Lokayukta police against the CM, his wife Parvathy, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy and then landowner — Devaraju — from whom Swamy bought land and gifted it to Parvathy Vendetta tool, says congress “It is no secret that the ED has become an instrument of harassment, vendetta, revenge, and vengeance,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said SC lambasts Pinarayi bent on wiping for out religious amity: Anvar Naidupolitics laddu govt’s highest recognition E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e ECIR based on FIR by lokayukta prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, recognizing his unparalleled contributions to Indian cinema. He is a cultural icon, admired across generations for his versatile performances. Congratulations and best wishes to him.” A star in the 80s, Chakraborty has had a decreased presence on the silver screen in recent times. Although he was part of Bengali-language films like Kabuliwala (2023) and Projapati (2022), his last Hindi outing was the controversial The Kashmir Files (2022). He also served as the head judge or ‘grandmaster’ on the popular dance reality series Dance India Dance from 2009 to 2018. Mithun Da, as he was better known, made his acting debut with Mrinal Sen’s 1976 film Mrigayaa, for which he won the National Award for Best Actor. He bagged two more National Awards for 1992’s Tahader Katha (best actor) and 1998’s Swami Vivekananda (best supporting actor). Mithun Da’s claim to fame, however, was his distinctive dancing style in the 1982 superhit Disco Dancer, which is widely credited for ushering in the era of disco dancing in India through chartbusters like ‘I Am A Disco Dancer’. SUCHI T RA K A LYA N M O HA N T Y @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Monday criticised Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu for making a public statement that the previous government led by Jagan Mohan Reddy used ghee containing animal fat to prepare laddus at Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati. After going through the lab report, the SC said it was ‘the rejected ghee’ that was sent for test and there was no primafacie evidence to show spurious ghee was indeed used for making laddus. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan also sought to know if the laddus that were said to have been made using contaminated ghee were tested. “Whether that Ghee, of which the sample was not found conforming to the standards, was used in the preparation of laddus?” it asked advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the AP government. The bench said it was inappropriate on the part of a higher constitutional functionary to issue loaded statements before the conclusion of a probe, adding: “We should keep God aw ay f ro m p o l i t i c s. ” It noted that an FIR was registered on September 25 and the SIT was constituted on September 26 to probe the matter, but the CM had made a statement on September 18.