TIRUNELVELI l Tuesday l march 18, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l CITY EDITION Cheetah Gamini can now be spotted by tourists in safari 17 big cats now released into the wild South African cheetah Gamini and her 4 cubs were released into the wild in the Khajuri forest area at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on Monday Project going strong for over 2 years Their release raised the number of cheetahs in the wild to 17. Nine others are still in the enclosures. On February 21, cheetah Jwala and her four cubs were released into the wild in KNP. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav hailed the development as an important day in the cheetah project and wildlife conservation ■ ■ PM Modi initiated the translocation project with eight cheetahs brought from Namibia released into KNP in September 2022. This marked the first-ever intercontinental translocation of the big cats Gamini gave birth to six cubs in her first litter on March 10, 2024, officials said. Two of the cubs, however, died in subsequent months 26 Cheetahs in KNP now, including 14 cubs born on Indian soil 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 parking brawl Army Col, son assaulted by Punjab cops, 12 suspended Govt turns the screws on Khalistani radicals h a r p r e e t b a j w a @ Chandigarh A serving army Colonel and his son were allegedly assaulted by Punjab Police personnel in Patiala in the wee hours of March 14 over a parking dispute. The incident, caught on CCTV, left the Colonel with a fractured arm and his son with severe head injuries. Following an outrage over the incident, Punjab Police on Monday suspended twelve policemen, including three inspectors, and ordered a departmental probe against them. Sources said Colonel Pushpinder Bath, presently posted at the army headquarters in New Delhi, said he was assaulted on the night of March 13 when he, along with his son, were allegedly attacked by policemen posted in Patiala. The incident took place outside a roadside eatery near the hospital where Bath and his son had stopped for refreshments. It is alleged that three police personnel in plain clothes asked the army officer to remove his car so that they could park their vehicle. When the officer objected to their tone, the cops allegedly assaulted him and his son with baseball bats and sharp-edged weapons. One of the policemen claimed that it was the Colonel and his son who attacked them first. “They were inebriated and attacked us,” he claimed. Jaswinder Bath, Col Bath’s wife, claimed that the family is being asked to compromise or face dire consequences. This comes two days after the Patiala police registered an FIR against unidentified men for a brawl near Rajindra Hospital, based on a written complaint from the army officer. It is learnt that senior army officials from Delhi visited the hospital for a status check. Son of Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath at a hospital. The Patiala SSP issued an apology to the officer’s family | X Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon in New Delhi | Shekhar Yadav Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during a meeting with USA’s Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard | PTI ‘Rein in anti-India Gabbard urged to elements in NZ’ ban Pannun’s SFJ J AYANTH J ACO B @ New Delhi M AYAN K S INGH @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday raised the issue of pro-Khalistan elements freely carrying out anti-India activities in New Zealand during his bilateral meeting with the Pacific island nation’s PM Christopher Luxon. Modi called for strict action against those guilty of terrorist attacks. “We will continue to cooperate together against terrorist, separatist and radical elements,” he said. Separately, the Ministry of External Affairs said the issue of Khalistan supporters getting space in New Zealand was discussed between the two leaders. “This was an issue that came up. We do alert our friends to the activities of anti-India elements in their countries and their abuse of freedom of speech and other democratic freedoms to glorify terrorism, and to threaten attacks against our diplomats or our parliament or our events in India. So these were also conWe have shared our concerns veyed,” said Jaideep Mazumabout anti-India dar, secretary (east) in the activities by Ministry of External Affairs, certain illegal adding New Zealand was reelements in New ceptive to India’s concerns. Zealand. We’re India has been flagging varconfident we will ious pro-Khalistan activities, receive the full including the so-called ‘refer- cooperation of the endum’ for an independent New Zealand govt Sikh homeland organised by Narendra Modi the pro-Khalistan group, Sikhs for Justice, permitted by New Zealand authorities under the guise of ‘freedom of speech’. Modi and Luxon held wide-ranging talks with a focus on ramping up overall bilateral ties. The two sides also inked six pacts to firm up defence and security ties, and cooperation in education, sports, agriculture and climate change. India and New Zealand have also decided to start negotiations for a free trade pact. “This shall increase the potential for bilateral trade and investment. Mutual cooperation and investment shall be encouraged in fields such as dairy , food processing, and pharma,” Modi said. New Zealand is keen to have greater access to India’s lucrative dairy market, which has been traditionally protected to support farmers. Luxon arrived in Delhi on Sunday on a fiveday visit to explore ways to deepen ties. DEFENCE Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday conveyed to US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, India’s concerns over activities of Khalistani separatist group, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), on American soil and urged her to declare it as a designated terrorist entity sources said. , In an over 30-minute meeting at his office in the Raisina Hills, Singh apprised Gabbard about SFJ’s alleged links with Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) as well as its “collaboration” with the Babbar Khalsa terrorist group, and pressed for action against it, sources said. Singh flagged concerns over the SFJ, headed by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, vandalising various Hindu religious structures in the US and said such radicalism must be stopped, the sources said. The SFJ is a banned organisation in India. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is wanted by Drawing from the joint statement Indian probe agencies on varissued after the ious terror charges. recent ModiDuring the discussion, both Trump meeting, countries also explored avethe discussions nues for collaboration in cutreaffirmed the ting-edge defence innovation growing strength and niche technologies. of the India-US In a statement, the Ministry bilateral defence of Defence said, “Drawing partnership from the joint statement issued Ministry of Defence after the recent meeting of PM Narendra Modi with US President Donald Trump, the discussions reaffirmed the growing strength of the India-US bilateral defence partnership.” Both leaders emphasised that strategic security remains a vital pillar of the comprehensive global strategic cooperation between the two nations. “Rajnath and Gabbard reviewed the significant strides made in the areas of military exercises, strategic cooperation, integration of defence industrial supply chains and information-sharing cooperation, especially in the maritime domain, between India and the US,” MoD added. The two leaders addressed key areas such as enhancing interoperability and fostering greater integration of defence industrial supply chains to bolster resilience and innovation. Manipur tense as Kuki-Zo leader mugged, prohibitory orders out P r a s a n ta M a z u m d a r @ Guwahati PROHIBITORY orders under Section 163 of BNSS were clamped in Manipur’s Kukidominated Churachandpur district following a senior Kuki-Zo leader’s assault. Richard Hmar, general secretary of Hmar Inpui and a member of Indigenous Tribal Leade r s ’ Fo r u m ( I T L F ) , w a s assaulted by unknown miscreants late on Sunday inside the campus of VK Montessori School in Zenhang. He is undergoing medical treatment due to e x c e s s iv e b l e e d i n g a n d injuries. Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) empowers district magistrates to issue preventive orders in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger to prevent harm to individuals or public safety Authorities clamped prohibitory orders following reports from the Churachandpur SP. Ethnic violence case moved to Guwahati The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that the trial of the Manipur ethnic violence cases, probed by the CBI, will take place in Guwahati, Assam, where they were transferred to earlier. The court has instructed the Chief Justice of the Guwahati High Court to assign judicial officers to manage these cases Unauthorised processions or unlawful assemblies of five or more persons were banned, as well as carrying of arms or objects which can be used as weapons. District magistrate Dharun Kumar S said, “…Our attention has been drawn to incidents where disputes are escalating in some areas, leading to unrest that threatens the peaceful coexistence of our citizens.” AIADMK’s motion to one poll oust Speaker Appavu defeated by 91 votes unconstitutional, says ap shah T M u r u g a n a n d h a m @ Chennai The resolution moved by the AIADMK seeking to remove Assembly Speaker M Appavu from his post was defeated by a margin of 91 votes on Monday . A total of 154 MLAs belonging to the DMK and parties allied to it voted against the resolution, while 63 MLAs belonging to the AIADMK — including Puratchi Bharatham leader Poovai M Jeganmoorthy who was elected under the AIADMK symbol — supported it. The MLAs belonging to PMK and the BJP were absent during the discussion on the resolution as well as during the division of votes. As the resolution sought his removal, Appavu handed over the responsibility of conducting the proceedings of the House to Deputy Speaker K Pitchandi. After the discussion, the deputy speaker put the resolution to voice vote twice and announced that it had been defeated. Since AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami demanded a division of votes on the resolution, Pitchandi ordered the closure of all entrances to the House. At the end of division of votes, the deputy speaker announced the resolution had been defeated. Three AIADMK MLAs, including former speaker P Dhanapal, were absent on Monday . Similarly three DMK MLAs, in, cluding Minister R Gandhi, were also absent. Former chief minister O Panneerselvam and his supporters — R Vaithilingam, Manoj Pandian and P Ayyappan — also supported the resolution against the speaker. Panneerselvam later told reporters that he continues to be an AIADMK MLA and so supported the resolution. K A Sengottaiyan, one of the 16 AIADMK MLAs who had sought the speaker’s removal in January, also voted in favour. His stance was under close observation following his recent differences with Palaniswami. Speaking on the resolution, Palaniswami recalled numerous instances where he alleged that the speaker had acted in a partial manner, in favour of the ruling DMK members.  P5 Cash-for-jobs scam: SC stays HC order for CBI probe into ex-AIADMK minister S u c h i t r a K a lya n M o h a n t y @ New Delhi In a major relief to former AIADMK minister K T Rajenthra Bhalaji, the Supreme Court on Monday stayed a Madras High Court order directing a CBI probe into the corruption allegations against him in connection with a cashfor-job scam case. A division bench of the apex court comprising Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice SVN Bhatti passed the order while hearing two pleas, including the one filed by the Tamil Nadu government against the HC’s decision. The HC on January 6 had ordered a CBI investigation into the case after it found that the state government did not comply with its earlier direction asking it to file a charge sheet in this matter. During the hearing on Monday, Senior Advocate V Giri, appearing for Bhalaji, opposed the CBI probe on the ground that the case did not merit a routine transfer to the premier probe agency. “The order was passed (by the HC) in a petition without hearing the parties,” ‘Madras HC passed order without hearing parties’ Senior Advocate V Giri, appearing for Bhalaji, opposed the CBI probe on the ground that the case did not merit a routine transfer to the premier probe agency. “The order was passed (by the HC) in a petition without hearing the parties,” Giri contended Giri contended. The SC asked the Tamil Nadu government to provide the translated documents to the governor’s secretariat within two weeks and directed the governor’s office to take an expeditious decision on the pending sanction. “We permit the state of Tamil Nadu to submit the translated copies to the secretariat of the governor within two weeks. Thereupon, it is expected that the office of the governor would take a decision on the sanction forthwith. We issue notice to the respondents... In the meanwhile, we direct that the CBI will not proceed with the investigation,” the Supreme Court bench said.  P5 Throughout the day protesters , attempted to enforce a shutdown, urging shops to close immediately. Groups of men patrolled the streets with sticks, while clashes between the Hmar and Zomi communities led to stone pelting in multiple areas of the district headquarters. Personnel of the Central security forces intervened, firing gunshots in the air to disperse mobs, officials said. The Hmar Inpui said the victim was caught by a group of men on his way home, blindfolded and beaten up even after he had revealed his identity. The organisation asked the perpetrators to give in or face consequences. The Thadou Students’ Association expressed concern over escalating tensions between different groups among the non-Naga tribal communities, particularly between Kuki/Kuki-Zo, Hmar and Zomi groups. The ITLF has also condemned the incident. up in flames An arson attack in central Nagpur on Monday amid rumours that a holy book was burnt during an agitation. At least 23 people were injured in the violence. Police fired tear gas shells and resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the mob | ANI express read Cops detain BJP leaders ahead of rally Chennai: Curbing BJP’s plans to hold a rally in Egmore and lay siege to the Tasmac headquarters on Monday, city police detained party leaders, including state president K Annamalai, at various locations and released them in the evening | P4 Debt grew faster under AIADMK: FM Chennai: During the Assembly session on Monday, Minister Thangam Thennarasu denied allegations of higher debt growth, stating that during the previous AIADMK rule, debt growth rate was 128%, higher than the current 93% under CM Stalin | P4 Deposing before the JPC examing the one nation, one poll Bill, former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court submitted a 12-page note asserting that the Bill is violative of the Constitution | P7 Gang murders 2 history-sheeters in Kotturpuram Ex p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Chennai Two history-sheeters were hacked to death by an eightmember gang near Kotturpuram on Sunday night. Police suspect the killings were connected to a 2022 murder. Three special teams have been formed to nab the suspects. According to the Kotturpuram police, the deceased have been identified as Arun Kumar (25) and his friend ‘Padappai’ Suresh (25). Arun had seven cases filed against him, while Suresh had six. The two became acquainted while serving time in prison, police said, adding that Suresh frequently visited Arun in Kotturpuram, and the two would often drink alcohol together. On Sunday night, Suresh and Arun got drunk and were passed out near a temple in the locality police said. Around 10 , pm, an eight-member gang allegedly surrounded and brutally attacked them with knives and machetes. As passersby began gathering, the assailants fled the scene, police added. Police rushed the duo to the Government Royapettah Hospital, where Arun was declared brought dead and Suresh succumbed to his injuries a short while after. Police said, as per initial inquiry, Arun had been involved in a conflict with another history-sheeter ‘Sukku Kaapi’ Suresh of Singaperumal Koil. In 2022, ‘Sukku Kaapi’ Suresh had allegedly murdered Arun’s girlfriend in Kelambakkam. There had also been a dispute between ‘Sukku Kaapi’ Suresh and Arun’s brother over drug sales, police said. As ‘Padappai’ Suresh was present at the scene, he too may have been targeted, they added. Further investigation is under way .