tirupati l sunday l december 29, 2024 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l late city EDITION Afghanistan hits several sites in Pakistan in retaliation Afghanistan’s defence ministry said on Saturday that its forces hit several sites inside Pakistan in retaliation for airstrikes earlier this week 19 Pakistani soldiers killed, claims media Taliban defence ministry said its forces targeted Pakistani points that served as centres and hideouts for malicious elements and their supporters who organised and coordinated attacks in Afghanistan. Media outlet Hurriyet Daily News citing ministry officials said that 19 Pakistani troops and three Afghan civilians were killed in the assaults | P9 ■ 383 Afghans in Khost city stage protest ■ Earlier this week, Pakistan’s attack on Afghanistan had killed 46 people in airstrikes near the border in Paktika. Pakistan accused the Taliban of not doing enough to combat cross-border militant activity In Khost city, hundreds of Afghan citizens on Saturday protested the Pakistani attack, calling for accountability for civilian deaths pakistani soldiers killed in various clashes in 2024 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 AP witnesses 5.7% dip in crime rate, cyber frauds up P h a n i n d r a Papa s a n i @ Vijayawada President Droupadi Murmu pays her last respects to former prime minister Manmohan Singh during the state funeral, at Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi on Saturday | PTI Cremation over, political row over memorial isn’t Congress, BJP slugfest over last rites at Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi P r e e t h a Na i r @ New Delhi Hours after the cremation of Manmohan Singh on Saturday , political tussle over a memorial for him escalated after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the government of “total insult” of the former prime minister since his last rites were performed at Delhi’s Nigambodh Ghat instead of a designated burial site. In a post on X, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said, “The great son of Mother India and the first Prime Minister of the Sikh community, Dr Manmohan Singh ji, has been insulted by the present government by performing his last rites today at the Nigam Bodh Ghat.” Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, too, attacked the government saying the Centre should have thought ‘beyond politics and narrow-minded- ness’ in this matter. “By not providing an adequate place for the cremation of former PM Dr Manmohan Singh, the government has not done justice to the dignity of the post of former PM, the personality of Manmohan Singh, his legacy and the self-respecting Sikh community she wrote on X. ,” In his pushback, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra lit into Rahul for politicising the issue, saying the Centre has already written to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Dr Singh’s family conveying the Union Cabinet’s decision to allocate space for the memorial. A government statement said the funeral could be held as the process of setting up a trust and allotting land for the me- morial could take a while. Kharge had on Friday written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting to hold the funeral at a place where his memorial could be built. BJP president J P Nadda, too condemned Rahul and Kharge for politics in the name of memorial. “When the entire nation mourns the demise, the Congress is busy turning this moment of grief into an opportunity to fulfill their political agenda,” Nadda alleged. Congress leader K C Venugopal hit back at Nadda and the BJP, alleging they crossed all boundaries of decency. The “shoddy arrangements and the conduct of the cremation were deeply insultP7 ing”, he charged. Dr Manmohan Singh deserves our highest respect and a memorial. The government should have shown respect to this great son of the country and his proud community — Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader Final journey to Nigambodh Ghat Singh’s body, placed in a flower-bedecked casket and carriage, was taken from his 3, Motilal Nehru residence in Delhi to the Congress HQ. Final journey then started from the AICC office to the Nigambodh Ghat, where the procession reached around 11.30 am Eldest daughter lit funeral pyre The funeral pyre was lit by Manmohan Singh’s eldest daughter, Upinder Singh, at Nigambodh Ghat. Priests and family members recited religious hymns from the holy Gurbani. Chants of Satnam Waheguru filled the air, as Singh was cremated Bhutan King pays tribute to ex-pm Security forces gave a salute of three volleys of small arms. Buglers sounded the Last Post. King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and the foreign minister of Mauritius, Dhananjay Ramful, were among the foreign dignitaries who paid tributes to Singh Director General of Police (DGP) Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao said the number of cybercrimes in the State increased this year compared to last year. A total of 916 cybercrimes were reported in 2024 as against 682 in 2023. Not just the number of cases, the amount lost to cyber fraudsters increased manifold causing a great concern among the public. A whopping `1,229 crore was lost in cybercrimes and of which `225 crore only was recovered from fraudsters. However, the rate of recovery increased this year compared to last year. The DGP said, “The police department is in pursuit of capacity building to provide efficient services to the people through the use of advanced technology and artificial intelligence. The newly formed EAGLE has started its operations to achieve the target of making the State free from drugs and narcotics substances.” Speaking to mediapersons at the police headquarters on Saturday the DGP expressed hap, piness that the average rate of crime in the State saw a decline of 5.7% this year compared to last year. A total of 92,094 cases were reported in 2024 as against 97,760 in 2023. Bodily crimes, property offences and crimes against women and children also declined, and it was attributed to visible policing. “The State police have demonstrated commendable performance in perfor ming various duties and maintaining law and order effectively. The significant decline in the crime rate, reflects the department’s commitment to ensure public safety,” the DGP said. According to the statistics, the crimes against women declined to 24,776 this year from 27,551 last year. POCSO and child abuse cases also registered a decline. Notably, the State saw a 6.13% decline in P4 road accidents.  Express News Service @ Parvathipuram-Manyam Police on Saturday arrested a 41-year-old man for impersonating as an IPS officer during Deputy Chief Minister Konidela Pawan Kalyan’s recent visit to ParvathipuramManyam district. The fake IPS officer was identified as Balivada Surya Prakash of Garividi, who is a licensed repairer of the Legal Metrology De par tment. The police seized two ID cards, a mobile phone, a laptop, a car, and Faya z W a n i @ Srinagar Vladimir Putin obliquely admitted on Saturday that Russian air defence had by mistake shot down an Azerbaijani Airlines plane that tried to land in Grozny before crashing, breaking the Kremlin’s silence as speculation mounted over Russian culpability . The Russian leader called his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, apologising for the shocking error of judgement in Russian airspace, while stopping short of saying Russian air defence had shot it down. The phone call between the allies came three days after the plane flying from Baku to Grozny crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people of 67 onboard. President Putin told Aliyev the plane had tried to land in Grozny “several times.” “During this time, Grozny, (the town of) Mozdok and Vladikavkaz were being attacked by Ukrainian combat drones and Russian air defence was repelling these atP9 tacks,” Putin said.  People in the Valley showed what Kashmiriyat is all about by opening their homes and mosques to tourists stranded at different places following the season’s first major snowfall. The Valley witnessed the season’s first major snowfall on Friday. While the plains had moderate to heavy snowfall, the upper reaches, including tourist resorts of Gulmarg in north Kashmir, Sonamarg in central Kashmir and Pahalgam in south Kashmir experienced heavy snowfall. As a result, tourists were stranded at many places, including at Gund in central Kashmir, Tangmarg in north A visitor takes pictures at Dal Lake after the season’s first snowfall in Srinagar | PTI Kashmir and Pahalgam and other areas in south Kashmir. Locals rose to the occasion in the Gund area of Ganderbal district by offering shelter to the stranded tourists at their homes and mosques. They were three pairs of police uniform and name plate from him. Disclosing the arrest of fake IPS officer to newsmen at Salur police station, Additional SP Dilip Kiran said Matter taken to DGP’s notice: Pawan Kalyan Speaking on the imposter issue, Pawan Kalyan said, “It is the responsibility of Home Minister to ensure that such lapses don’t recur. My focus is on my work, and my team has already taken the matter to DGP’s notice.” also provided food and heating facilities. At the Jamia Masjid in Gund, the locals burnt the traditional hamam at night to ensure warmth for the tourists accommodated in the mosque. Videos of the tourists spend- ing the night in the mosque and at the houses of locals have gone viral on social media. “We stayed the night in the mosque in Gund. The locals have given new life to us by providing us food and heating arrangements in the mosque. People here are very hospitable. They looked after us very well,” said a group of tourists from Punjab. “We are extremely thankful to the locals. The tourists are safe here and no harm can come their way People should . visit Kashmir which is paradise on earth,” they added. Besides, hotelier Mohd Altaf Siah provided free accommodation to tourists at his hotel, The Sultan, at Kullan-Rezan in Sonamarg from 2.30 am. Fourth Test Reddy, steady, go: Emotional hundred saves India at MCG G o m e s h S @ Melbourne It was tense. It was emotional. The scenes had all the ingredients of a blockbuster Tollywood movie. The protagonist on the field was plying his trade. Enacting one of India’s greatest fightbacks. The celebrations too had sprinkling of movies. Nitish Kumar Reddy first imitated the famous gesture from Pushpa after completing his fifty and later when he reached his maiden Test hundred it was Bahubali scene. India were still on the ropes, but thanks to Reddy and Washington Sundar, India can at least breathe with ease at 358 for 9 in reply to Australia’s first innings’ 474. In the stands were his family members sobbing. Father Mutyala Reddy and his wife were in attendance. Sometime later, Mutyala, his wife and daughter were waiting eagerly for the hotel door to open. Just as the door opened and the 21-year-old cen- turion emerged, Nitish’s mum embraced her son. Even though she tried to control, his sister hugged him saying, “so proud, so happy .” The most emotional moment was that of Mutyala who buried his face in Nitish’s shoulders and cried. He has sacrificed a lot. Even gave up his job so that he could ferry his son from practice to home. He even faced criticism for not having a job. But he had faith in Nitish. As Ad You Like It PLUS 12 PAGES Man faked as an IPS officer during Dy CM’s tour, held Putin says sorry for Kashmiriyat on display amid first big snowfall Azerbaijani plane crash agencies WITH THIS ISSUE the father kissed his son and hugged him tight in the video shared by BCCI.tv, they lived a dream. The Andhra all-rounder (from Vizag), with his unbeaten 105, saved the day for India. It was MSK Prasad, former India selector, who spotted him in the early 2010s. He used to be a toporder batter bowling seamup for Andhra age-group cricket. If Prasad played his part, Hanuma Vihari, (2021 Border Gavaskar Trophy team- member), too had a hand in helping Nitish make his state debut as a teenager. “Vihari always came forward and groomed him. I feel that Vihari has got the knack of supporting the right talent,” Prasad tells this daily . Vihari credits the youngster and his family for what he has done. “I always thought he would be playing at this level. But coming so soon and being able to perform in Australia is unbelievable. I felt really emotional today Vihari said.  P11 ,” Prakash returned after working two years as a sepoy in Punjab Regiment in 2005. Later, he worked as a labour contractor in the district till 2016. After that, he obtained licence as a repairer of weighing machines from the Legal Metrology Department. Prakash developed disputes with villagers over his ancestral property of nine acres of land after his father died of Covid-19. He went to Hyderabad in January 2024 informing his relatives that he was selected as an IPS officer.  P4 greed for gold Old woman killed, son and wife arrested Express News Service @ Vijayawada Gunadala police on Saturday arrested a man and his wife for smothering his mother to death, and fleeing with gold ornaments. Giving the case details, Central Zone Assistant Commissioner of Police K Damodhar said Moodu Pedda Sambasiva Rao, in collusion with his wife Vani, killed his mother Moodu Lakshmi (62) when she reportedly refused to share the property and gold. Based on a complaint lodged by her younger son on December 26, police registered a case. During the probe, it was revealed that Sambasiva Rao (43) and his wife Vani (35) visited Lakshmi’s house on December 25, and demanded a share in the property . “When Lakshmi refused to share the property the enraged , couple smothered her to death with a pillow. After committing the murder, the couple left the house with gold ornaments. Fearing arrest, they did not attend the final rites of Lakshmi,” the ACP said. The police apprehended the couple while they were trying to escape to Hyderabad. Later, they were produced in court.