BHUBANESWAR  FRIDAY  JULY 18, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 14  LATE CITY EDITION AAIB SAYS TOO EARLY TO REACH ANY DEFINITIVE CONCLUSION ON CRASH The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said it was too early to draw any conclusion from its preliminary report into the AI 171 crash on June 12 COMES IN WAKE OF WSJ REPORT ON CRASH AAIB’s rejoinder came after The Wall Street Journal on Thursday, quoting people familiar with US officials’ early assessment of evidence uncovered in the crash investigation, reported that “a black box recording of dialogue between the flight’s two pilots indicates it was the captain who turned off switches that controlled fuel flowing to the plane’s two engines” ■ 260 NO ROOM FOR PREMATURE CONCLUSIONS ■ Requesting all sections to refrain from drawing conclusions based on unfounded facts, AAIB said the investigation is still not complete and the final report will come out with root causes and recommendations After the release of its preliminary report on July 12, this is the first official comment from the AAIB amidst global concerns on the probe PEOPLE DIED IN THE AIR INDIA DREAMLINER CRASH IN AHMEDABAD 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 NIMISHA CASE Govt in touch with friendly nations for help: MEA J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi THE Indian government is making urgent efforts to avert the execution of Nimisha Priya, the Indian nurse sentenced to death in Yemen, to allow her family more time to reach a “mutually agreeable solution” with the victim’s relatives, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday . Priya, a resident of Kerala, was convicted in the 2017 killing of a Yemeni man and is currently imprisoned in Sana’a, which is under Houthi rebel control. Her execution, initially scheduled for July 16, was postponed following interventions by Indian officials, members of the Indian diaspora in Yemen, and a prominent cleric. “This is a very sensitive matter and the Government of India has been offering all possible assistance. We have providNimisha Priya ed legal assistance, and also appointed a lawyer to assist the family We are in touch with lo. cal authorities ... and some friendly governments... as also family members to resolve this issue,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. He, however, did not name the friendly countries. Jaiswal also declined to comment on the role of Sunni cleric Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musaliyar, in deferring the execution. “As far as the role of the entity that you mentioned, I have no information to share on this account.” India pushback Bandh brings Odisha to a grinding halt against NATO’s sanctions threat EXPRESS NEWS SERVCICE @ Bhubaneswar MEA calls out NATO’s ‘double standards’, says country’s energy security is top priority J AYA N T H J A C O B A N D R A K E S H K U M A R @ New Delhi INDIA on Thursday strongly pushed back against NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s warning that countries continuing to trade with Russia could face ‘very hard’ secondary sanctions, cautioning against ‘double standards’ in global energy policies. “We have seen reports on the subject and are closely following the developments,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to Rutte’s comments. “Let me reiterate that securing energy needs of our people is understandably an overriding priority for us. In this endeavor, we are guided by what is on offer in the markets, and by the prevailing global circumstances. We would particularly caution against any double standards on the matter,” Jaiswal said. The sharp response came after Rutte, during his visit to Washington on Wednesday, echoed US President Donald Trump’s recent announcement of potential 100% tariffs on Russian exports, to be enforced in 50 days unless Moscow agrees to a deal on Ukraine. Rutte directly named India, China, and Brazil, warning that continued business with Russia could “slam back” on them in a “massive way.” “If you live in Beijing or Delhi… you might want to take a look into this, because this might hit No pressure, India has enough suppliers: Puri Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said India will procure oil from other countries, should there be a problem sourcing it from Russia. “I don’t feel any pressure in my mind. India has diversified the sources of supply,” he said you very hard,” he said. India is one of the largest importers of Russian crude oil, which is sold at a price cap of $60 per barrel, much below global market rates. As of July, Russian crude accounts for 40% of India’s oil imports. Meanwhile, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday said India is not concerned about sanctions on Russian crude, as there are enough supplies in the market. Speaking at the Urja Varta 2025 event organised by the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons, Puri said, “I’m not worried at all. If something happens, we’ll deal with it. India has diversified its sources of supply — we’ve gone from buying oil from about 27 countries to around 40 now.” Five years on, 70 get clean chit in Tablighi Jamaat Covid-19 case EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi THE Delhi High Court on Thursday quashed 16 FIRs lodged against 70 people who were booked for sheltering foreign participants of a Tablighi Jamaat congregation in March 2020, during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, in her verdict, simply said, “Chargesheets quashed,” while disposing of the batch of petitions filed by the accused. The 70 petitioners, represented by advocate Ashima Mandla, had approached the court seeking to end the criminal proceedings pending against them for allegedly hosting foreigners in violation of pandemic-related prohibitory orders. The Delhi Police, which had earlier opposed the plea, had argued that the accused sheltered foreign nationals who had attended the Markaz event at Nizamuddin, breaching lockdown orders and health protocols imposed by the government. Several of these foreign nationals have already been acquitted, discharged, or accepted guilt to leave the country . The petitioners maintained that there was no evidence, either in the FIRs or in the chargesheets, linking them to the spread of Covid-19. Their presence alongside foreigners inside mosques or homes, they argued, could not be construed as participation in any religious congregation or violation of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. “This is a classic case of exaggerated allegations unsupported by material proof,” Mandla had submitted before the court, pointing out that the FIRs merely accused the petitioners of being present with foreign nationals, with no mention of them organising or attending gatherings. They were booked under various sections, including 188 (disobedience of public servant’s order) and 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection) of the IPC. The police had also cited multiple inspections between March 26– 31, 2020, claiming to have found foreign nationals lodged in local mosques even after the nationwide lockdown was declared on March 24. THE 12-hour Odisha Bandh called by Congress and Left parties seeking justice for the 20-year-old girl student of FM (Autonomous) College in Balasore, who died of self-immolation over alleged sexual harassment by her teacher, brought normal life to a standstill across the state on Thursday . The bandh remained by and large peaceful and no untoward incident was reported even as public transport was paralysed and schools, colleges, markets and business establishments remained shut. Petrol pumps also remained closed around the state during the period. Essential services were hit as vehicular movement on major roads and highways was disrupted during the bandh. A majority of educational institutions remained closed as a precautionary measure while thin attendance was witnessed in government offices. The bandh was mostly spontaneous as Congress workers did not enforce a shutdown unlike previous occasions which led to violence at many places. Congress leaders and workers restricted their protest to dharna, picketing and rallies except A lonely shirt hangs outside as the Unit-2 market wears a deserted look with closed shops due to Odisha Bandh, in Bhubaneswar on Thursday | DEBADATTA MALLICK People joined the bandh spontaneously as the cause was not political. We sought justice for the girl student who died because of inaction by the authorities – Bhakta Charan Das, OPCC president when trying to break the barricades before the residence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. There was a scuffle between Congress workers and police in front of the chief minister’s residence following which several senior leaders including OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das and Odisha incharge Ajay Kumar Lallu were detained. Das said the bandh was observed peacefully by Congress leaders and workers across the state. “People joined the bandh spontaneously as the cause was not political. We sought justice for the girl student who died because of inaction by the authorities,” he said. State secretary of CPM Suresh Panigrahi said the party joined the strike as things are getting out of hand under the BJP government. The victim pleaded to everyone but was ignored, he said and added that Now, GM varsity asst professor held for physically exploiting girl student Govt blames RCB, organisers for stadium mess M AYA N K B H U S A N PA N I @ Bengaluru @ Sambalpur AMID widespread outrage over the FM (Autonomous) College student self-immolation, an assistant professor of GM University at Sambalpur was on Thursday arrested for allegedly exploiting a student under the false promise of marriage. The teacher, Gopikant Suna, has been charged under section 69 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Suna is an assistant professor with the School of Education. Immediately after his arrest, the university placed him under suspension. In her complaint filed with Mahila Police station, the 20-year-old student alleged that Suna had taken her to his official residence at Professor Colony where he first established physical relationship with her deceitfully . Subsequently, on multiple The student did not approach the ICC before filing the complaint with the police. Swift action was taken immediately after we were informed Susanta Kumar Das, V-C occasions, he exploited her while promising to marry her. However, he later went back on his word, prompting her to seek legal action. After receiving the complaint, the police registered a case and intimated the matter to the university. Suna, a resident of Dahita village under Buden police limits in Bargarh district, was arrested during the morning hours of the day and later produced before the court. Vice-chancellor in-charge of GM University Susanta Kumar Das said the authorities were not aware of the incident until it was brought to their notice by police. “The student did not approach the internal complaints committee (ICC) before filing the complaint with the police. However, we have an active ICC and follow a strict zero-tolerance policy to such matters. Swift action was taken immediately after we were informed,” he said. The ICC at the varsity was formed in 2022 and so far, three complaints have been filed. Last year, a guest faculty of department of Psychology was dismissed following an inquiry in a similar complaint. Suna has been associated with GM University for several years, beginning his academic journey as a post-graduate student in Education from 2014 to 2016. He joined the institution as a contractual lecturer in 2018 and later appointed as an assistant professor in 2020, during which he also completed his PhD. TEACHER ARRESTED FOR SCHOOL STUDENT’S SUICIDE Five days after a 16-year-old student of a private school in Champua died by suicide, police on Thursday arrested four persons including a teacher | P6 SWACHH RANKING Bhubaneswar rejoins national top-10 club, Aska springs a surprise SUDARSAN MAHARANA @ Bhubaneswar TAKING a giant leap, capital city Bhubaneswar has secured 9th position among 95 cleanest big cities in the country while Aska has been rated the cleanest urban area of the state, in the latest Swachh Survekshan ranking 2024-25 released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) on Thursday . The performance of the urban local bodies (ULBs) has helped Odisha secure three awards at the national stage with Aska and Chikiti being adjudged Presidential Awardees. As per the cleanliness ranking, the state capital with an overall score of 10,772 out of 12,500, was placed at 9th rank, up from 34 in 2023, among the big cities having a population in the range of 3-10 lakh. In 2022, Bhubaneswar stood at rank 80. The performance of Bhubaneswar on improved waste management and cleanliness fetched the Ministerial Award (state-level) and the ‘Promising Swachh Shehar’ tag for the city at the Swachh Survekshan Awards function held on the day in New Delhi. The smart city was also ranked second-most cleanest after Aska in the state in this year’s ranking. As per the report card, Bhubaneswar achieved door-to-door garbage collection of 97 per cent, while it managed to process 98 pc of the waste generated in a day. The city also achieved 100 per cent cleanliness of residential areas, market areas and water bodies. Lauding the department authorities and ULBs for their achievement, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said, “The people of Odisha are enforcing the bandh. The strike affected train services due to rail rokos held at over a dozen of railway stations. The agitators detained Chennai-bound Coromandel Express for more than an hour at Bhadrak railway station at around 6 am, while departure of Utkal Express from Puri railway station was also delayed by at least 30 minutes due to dharna at the railway station. “Timings of at least 10 trains were affected due to the bandh. However, the services have become normal now,” said an East Coast Railway (ECoR) official. Tension flared up briefly at Master Canteen Square in Bhubaneswar after agitating Congress workers tried to forcefully enter into the railway station. However, they were blocked by the police and security personnel following a minor scuffle. Long queues of commercial vehicles were witnessed in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Jajpur stretch of National Highway NH -16. Hundreds of trucks also remained stranded on KoraputJeypore stretch of the NH 26 owing to the bandh. Roads wore a deserted look as transport services were affected. Government and private buses remained off the roads. CLEAN PROGRESS  Bhubaneswar 9th best among cities with 3-10 lakh population  Aska cleanest among all in Odisha  Rourkela ranked 15, Cuttack 30 and Berhampur 75 in big cities category  Chikiti 2nd best very smallest city in cleanliness national recognition of Aska, Chikiti and Bhubaneswar is a testament to the Housing and Urban Development department’s relentless efforts, effec- tive leadership and communitydriven approach towards urban cleanliness.” Majhi also thanked all the sanitation workers and citizens for making this possible and urged people to work together to build a ‘Swachha and Samruddha Odisha’. Apart from the state capital, Rourkela, Cuttack and Berhampur also improved their ranks and figured among the 95 top big cities with a population of less than 10 lakh, in the Swachhata ranking. Rourkela ranked 15, while Cuttack ranked 30 and Berhampur 75 in the national survey in 2024-25. In 2023, Rourkela was at the 119th position while Cuttack’s rank was over 70. Berhampur too, had been CONTINUED ON P7 ranked 111. EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE THE Karnataka government has blamed the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), its event management partner DNA Networks Pvt Ltd and Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) for the stampede that claimed 11 lives on June 4. This was revealed in a status report submitted by the government to the Karnataka High Court. “The RCB Management, in association with its event management partner… and the KSCA, unilaterally decided to hold the victory celebration without prior consultation with the police and without obtaining the necessary permissions or license for such celebration,” said the report. The report said that star RCB player Virat Kohli’s video on RCB’s social media pages led to the huge turnout as well. The state had submitted its response to the HC in a sealed cover on June 12 and the court had asked it to furnish a copy to KSCA, RCB and DNA. The report listing out the sequence of events said that RCB had posted several messages on its official social media handles, inviting the public to participate in the Victory Parade, despite no permission being granted. The report noted that RCB/DNA/KSCA failed to seek appropriate permissions as per the prescribed format required under the Licensing and Controlling of Assemblies and Processions (Bangalore City) Order, 2009. The report said the KSCA submitted a letter of intimation to the Cubbon Park police station on June 3 before the IPL final. However, that was merely an intimation, and not a requisition for permission as required. Despite this, RCB unilaterally proceeded on June 4, announcing a public ‘Victory Parade’ from Vidhana Soudha to Chinnaswamy Stadium via multiple social media posts starting at 7.01 am. The report stated, “At 8.55 am, RCB posted a video clip featuring Virat Kohli on RCB’s official handle @Rcbtweets on ‘X’, in which he stated that the team intended to celebrate victory with people of Bengaluru city…on June 4.”