source: x THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l monday l January 12, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Paatal Lok 2 actor Prashant Tamang dies of cardiac arrest Prashant Tamang, winner of Indian Idol 3 and acclaimed for his role as an assassin in Paatal Lok 2, died of cardiac arrest on Sunday morning Prashant Tamang (4 January 1983 — 11 January 2026) Shot to Fame After Winning Indian Idol 3 Death puts spotlight on heart health Tamang, 43, passed away around 9 am at his Delhi residence, his close friend and singer Mahesh Sewa said. Tamang was born on January 4, 1983. Encouraged by friends, he auditioned for the reality singing show Indian Idol in 2007 and went on to win it. He then came out with his first album Dhanyavaad in 2010 and began performing at concerts worldwide ■ Tamang’s sudden death comes amid a rising number of young people succumbing to cardiac arrest and heart-related ailments ■ Bigg Boss 13 winner and actor Sidharth Shukla, Kannada actor Puneet Rajkumar, and filmmaker Raj Kaushal are among several young celebrities who have died from cardiac arrest 2010 when tamang’s first film Gorkha Paltan was released 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 Big push to strategic ties as Modi, Rahul sent to jail; Merz set for talks in Ahmedabad a habitual offender, OTT App Centre asks manufacturers to pre-install WAVES on TVs German chancellor’s visit to India first in Asia after taking office last year; to visit B’luru too Par v e z S u ltan @ New Delhi Buoyed by the growing popularity of WAVES, Prasar Bharati’s over-the-top (OTT) application, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is set to write to television manufacturers, urging them to pre-install the app on smart TVs. Currently, most smart TVs come pre-loaded with major OTT apps such as Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime Video. It comes weeks after the Ministry of Communications mandated the pre-installation of the Sanchar Saathi app on all smartphones, but withdrew the order after pushback from phone makers. WAVES — launched in November 2024 — combines live TV on-demand videos, radio, , games, e-books, and e-commerce in a single platform. It has already made strong inroads, recording over 3.8 million downloads and 2.3 million registered users. It offers at least 65 channels, including 40 live services featuring news and entertainment networks. Jayan t h Ja c o b @ New Delhi E x press N e w s S er v i c e @ P’thitta SIGNALLING New Delhi’s intent to deepen partnerships with key European powers amid shifting global geopolitics and growing economic uncertainty , Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold comprehensive talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Ahmedabad on Monday . Merz’s January 12-13 visit, his first to Asia since taking office eight months ago, comes in a backdrop of global challenges including Washington’s 50 percent tariff on Indian goods, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, and a fractious global politico-economic order. The talks are expected to focus on expanding cooperation in trade, investment, critical technologies, defence, and skill development. Germany is India’s largest trading partner in the European Union, with bilateral trade reaching around $50 billion in 2024-25. Germany accounts for roughly one-fourth of India’s EU trade and is the ninth-largest foreign direct investor with cumulative investments exceeding $15 billion. Over 2,000 German companies operate in India. The two leaders will review the IndiaGermany Strategic Partnership, which completed 25 years last year, and discuss ways to enhance cooperation in education, skilling and mobility, science and innovation research. Chancellor Merz’s Ahmedabad programme includes visiting Sabarmati Ashram, participating in the International Kite Festival, attending a skill development event, and talks with PM Modi at Mahatma Mandir. He will travel to Bengaluru on Tuesday to visit Bosch and Centre for Nano Science and Engineering. Days after Merz’s trip, EU leaders will visit New Delhi, where they may wrap up India-EU free trade agreement, to be followed by French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit. Following a dramatic midnight arrest in connection with a fresh rape complaint, Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil was remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody on Sunday He . was later sent to Mavelikkara sub-jail. The arrest was based on the complaint — the third against Rahul — a 31-year-old Malayali woman, currently residing in Canada, emailed to the police. In its remand report submitted before a Pathanamthitta district magistrate, the special investigation team (SIT) described the MLA as a “habitual offender” and argued that his continued liberty posed a serious risk to the investigation. According to the remand report, the accused deliberately befriended the survivor — a married woman — through social media and allegedly raped her. The alleged incident took place at a hotel in Tiruvalla on April 8, 2024. The complainant alleged that Rahul asked her to naval officer posting Germany has agreed to deploy a Naval Liaison Officer at the IFCIOR, a key informationsharing hub for maritime security in the region | P7 PM Narendra Modi addresses a gathering at Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference | PTI PM: iNDIA on FAST track to be 3rd largest economy D i l i p S i n g h Ks h at r i ya @ Rajkot Bullish on growth In a message to investors, Modi said amid global uncertainty India offers predictability, political stability and rising middleclass purchasing power PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday declared that India is rapidly advancing towards becoming the world’s third largest economy, citing controlled inflation, macro stability and global confidence as key drivers amid worldwide uncertainty . “Inflation is under control, macro stability is strong, and India today stands out with unprecedented certainty,” Modi said at the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference in Rajkot, contrasting India’s political stability with tur moil in neighbouring countries. Highlighting India’s economic trajectory, he said, “India is the world’s fastest growing economy . Global hopes are rising.” Modi listed milestones including India being the world’s largest milk producer, number one in generic medicines and vaccines, biggest mobile data consumer, top digital payment platform through UPI, second largest mobile manufacturer, and among top three in solar power and aviation markets. “This is why global institutions are bullish on India,” he said. “The IMF calls India the engine of global growth. S&P has upgraded India after 18 years. Fitch praises our macro stability and fiscal credibility .” Modi stressed that amid global uncertainty India offers predict, ability political stability and ris, ing middle-class purchasing power. Assign Sabarimala gold theft probe to neutral agency: Shah E x press N e w s S er v i c e @ T’Puram Alleging that virulent loopholes have been planted into the investigation to provide escape routes to the Sabarimala gold theft accused, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday remarked that the BJP will organise protests across the state until a neutral agency is assigned to conduct a probe into the matter. “The controversy is not just an issue of the state, but is closely being observed by people throughout the country. Can people under whom the assets of Sabarimala are unsafe protect our faith?” Shah said while addressing the newly elected local body members of the party . Launching the ‘Mission 2026’ assembly poll campaign, he said that BJP is the only party that can develop Kerala, protect it from communal politics, and safeguard local beliefs and traditions. Launching a political broadside, the home minister said that with Communist parties perishing across the world and Congress across the country NDA offers the , only path to Kerala’s development. “BJP’s vote share rose from 11% in 2014 to 16% in 2019, and 20% in 2024. The day is not far away when this will soar to 30% or 40%,” he Will hit US troops and Israel if attacked: Iran Dubai: Iran’s parliament speaker warned on Sunday that the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if the US strikes the Islamic Republic over the ongoing protests roiling the country, as threatened by President Donald Trump. Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf made the threat after protests challenging Iran’s theocracy saw agitators continue to flood the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city. P9 Kochi: After two years of highs, the state witnessed a significant decline in the number of dengue-related cases and fatalities in 2025. The number of cases dropped from 20,624 and deaths from 99 in 2024 to 10,886 and 56 last year, in a relief to health officials and public. However, according to experts, the decline, caused by favourable weather conditions and a change in virus serotype, may not last long. P5 Union Home Minister Amit Shah speaking during a meeting with newly elected local body representatives of the BJP in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday | B P Deepu said, adding the party’s win in 30 panchayats is a clear indicator of its growth beyond urban areas. Shah said that neither LDF nor UDF will alienate SDPI, PFI, or Jamaat-e-Islami -- who represent their key vote banks. “Only NDA can save Kerala from this divisive politics.” Mentioning that both UDF and LDF opposed the move to abolish triple talaq, he sought to know if Muslim women in Kerala don’t have the right to live peacefully .Claiming that most families in the state survive on foreign remittances, he posed the question whether this concerns either UDF ● More on P4 or LDF. actor assault case express read Dengue cases, fatalities declined in 2025 says remand report Probe into memory card access leaves behind several unanswered questions P R A M D A S @ Kochi More than two years since the most crucial digital evidence in the 2017 actor abduction and sexual assault case was found to have been illegally accessed while in court custody no action has been , initiated against those responsible. Instead, the inquiry into the breach has thrown up a series of unanswered questions. According to the prosecution, a key unresolved issue is why the then magistrate of the Angamaly judicial first class magistrate court took the memory card containing the sexual-abuse visuals to her residence and why the inquiry report remains silent on whether other persons were present when the card was accessed. Serious doubts have also been raised regarding access by staff of the then Ernakulam district and sessions judge, allegedly on the judge’s instruction, without the report explaining the specific purpose for such an examination. The inquiry report, a copy of which is in the possession of TNIE, was submitted on January 8, 2024, by District and Sessions Judge Honey M Varghese before the registrar (district judiciary), Kerala High Court. The report concludes that since the visuals were not found to have been copied, “no offences are seen committed as of now”, even while stating that those involved are liable to be proceeded against for misconduct. The inquiry report was submitted based on a High Court directive to probe into memory card access. The first access, on January 9, 2018, was attributed to Leena Rasheed, magistrate of the Angamaly judicial first class magistrate court. The report notes that the memory card was in her exclusive custody until it was forwarded to the Sessions Court on March 5, 2018, and that no one could access the records without the magistrate’s permission. Leena stated that she had taken the memory card along with other case documents to her residence for verification and consideration of petitions and that she connected the card to her laptop using a card reader. The prosecution questions why the memory card was taken to the magistrate’s residence and whether any other persons were present during the access. The inquiry report, however, does not address ● More on P4 these concerns.  book a room at the hotel and rest there. Around 15 minutes later, he arrived in the room and used force to assault her sexually the woman alleged. , The complainant said he also slapped her, and the assault continued for nearly two hours. The woman alleged that she became pregnant following the incident. She also accused him of financial exploitation, claiming that he coerced her into financial transactions, including the purchase of a flat. In her complaint, the survivor said she was subjected to slutshaming and denial of paternity , which caused severe stress and insomnia. She allegedly suffered bleeding on May 24, 2024, and a subsequent miscarriage. According to the police, Rahul was taken into custody following a covert operation at a hotel in Palakkad late on Saturday night. Officers, who reached the hotel, secured mobile phones of the staff at the hotel reception, ensured that no other persons were present in the room, and completed custody formali● More on P5 ties by 12.30am.  Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil being brought to the Pathanamthitta General Hospital for medical examination on Sunday | Shaji Vettipuram