BHUBANESWAR l sunday l february 15, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l late CITY EDITION Pannun murder plot: Nikhil Gupta to be sentenced on May 29 A US federal court will on May 29 sentence the Indian national accused of plotting to eliminate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York in 2023 faces up to 24 years in jail on three charges sought to hire hitman for $100K job Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire and two other charges in connection with his attempts to murder the Khalistani separatist Pannun. Following a plea bargain, he faces up to 24 years in jail. According to the US Department of Justice, Gupta was hired by Vikash Yadav, who worked for India’s Cabinet Secretariat, which houses the Research and Analysis Wing ■ ■ According to the indictment, at Yadav’s direction, Gupta sought to hire a hitman to murder Pannun. The Centre has dissociated itself from the plot against Pannun, dismissing it as a “rogue operation” The hitman hired by Gupta, was to be paid $1,00,000 to murder Pannun. But the killer-on-hire was an undercover officer | P8 Jun 30, 2023 when gupta was arrested in the Czech republic 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 She vote was Jamaat’s nemesis CM lays stone for `100 cr W omen in Bangladesh follow a distinct colour code on national red-letter days. On Poila Baisakh, 15 April, the lal paar shada shari — white with a red border — is donned to usher in the Bengali New Year. On Bijoy BNP head Tarique Rahman greets supporters Dibas, 16 December, marking after his party won the parliamentary the 1971 surrender of the Paki- election, in Dhaka on Saturday | PTI stan Army in Dhaka, the palette turns green. On 21 February, them I had packed away my black is worn as homage to track suits and sleeveless blousthose killed in Dhaka in 1952 for es. Now I can use them again. seeking national language sta- This is not frivolous. The tus for Bengali as well as Urdu. Jamaat had cast a long shadow Today, too, has its own special on women.” colour: bright yellow Ordinary women in a range of hues. who ventured out in Across Bangladesh, trousers instead of trawomen in sunshine ditional attire were sarees, flowers woven heckled, even assaultinto their hair, are celed, for the way they ebrating basanta utdressed. Often, the sav, the advent of hecklers were women spring. They are also supporters of Jamaat. Monideepa celebrating the verdict Daily wage earners Banerjie in the just-concluded were equally alarmed Veteran journalist election. The fact that when the Jamaat manBNP has had a landifesto proposed women slide with 212 seats work five hours during and the Jamaat-e-Islami was maternity instead of eight. For held at 77 is, for many women, a women paid by the hour, fewer big relief. hours meant one thing: lower “Though I am traditionally wages. In its manifesto, Jamaat an Awami League voter, I voted promised to increase the repreBNP this time,” said a 42-year- sentation of women in the cabiold woman in Dhaka’s upmar- net if elected to power. But it did ket Banani who works in the not field a single woman candisocial sector. “Anything to keep date, possibly the only party to Continued on: P9 the Jamaat out. Because of do so.  Govt approves `10K cr for Startup Fund of Funds 2.0 E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi The Union Cabinet on Saturday approved the establishment of the Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 (Startup India FoF 2.0) with a total corpus of `10,000 crore. The Startup India FoF 2.0 builds on nearly a decade of sustained efforts to make India one of the world’s leading startup nations. The scheme is designed to accelerate the next phase of India’s startup journey by mobilising long-term domestic capital, strengthening the venture capital ecosystem, and supporting innovationled entrepreneurship across the country, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said in a statement. As per the government, since the launch of Startup India in 2016, India’s startup ecosystem has grown from fewer than 500 startups to over 2 lakh Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)-recognised startups today . While the first phase built the ecosystem, Startup India FoF 2.0 is designed to take Indian innovation to the next level, the government said. The fund will employ a targeted, segmented funding approach to support deep tech and tech-driven innovative manufacturing, empowering early-growth-stage founders and encouraging investment beyond major metros. Man beaten to death over theft suspicion, 20 arrested A 40-year-old man was allegedly beaten up by an angry mob over theft suspicion, at Sardula village in Ganjam’s Bhanjanagar area late on Friday night | P4 BNP set to invite Modi textile park, `187 cr data for Tarique’s swearing-in centre in Keonjhar dist backdrop, Modi’s swift outreach to Rahman after the elecTHE Bangladesh Nationalist tion result was seen as a signifiParty is set to invite Prime cant outreach. Modi was the Minister Narendra Modi to the first world leader to telephone swearing-in ceremony of Tar- Rahman following the BNP’s ique Rahman, signalling a pos- victory . sible push to normalise ties folRahman said his governlowing a bruising period in ment’s foreign policy will be Dhaka–New Delhi reanchored firmly in lationship. Rahman, national interest. “We Bangladesh’s prime have cleared ourselves minister-in-waiting, is regarding the foreign expected to take office policy, which is the inThis victory in the coming days afterest of Bangladesh, belongs to ter the BNP secured a and the interest of democracy.. to landslide victory in people who aspired Bangladeshi people to and have the 13th national parcomes first,” Rahman sacrificed for liamentary elections, said when asked about democracy handing him a commending ties with manding mandate. India. Tarique Rahman Humayun Kabir, forThe careful phraseign policy adviser to ing suggests a balancRahman said: “Region is im- ing act ahead. At a press conportant to us... There is a sense ference a day after the BNP’s of priority in sending out invi- sweeping win, Rahman struck tations for the inauguration.” a tone of triumph tempered by He framed the invitation to caution. He dedicated the vicModi as a goodwill gesture. tory to citizens who “sacrificed Relations between Dhaka for democracy.” “This victory and New Delhi turned frosty belongs to Bangladesh, belongs following the ouster of former to democracy, this victory bePM Sheikh Hasina, whose gov- longs to people who aspired to ernment had maintained close and have sacrificed for democties with India. Against that racy,” he said. j aya nt h j a c o b @ New Delhi Cricket talk after off-field powerplay Swa r o o p swa m i n at h a n @ Colombo WHEN Saturday dawned, a fair few couples headed to the picturesque Galle Face Beach in the heart of the city’s Central Business District to exchange their wedding vows. A few hours later, though, tension was rising inside the press conference room at the R Premadasa Stadium, six kms away from the beach. There were questions on politics, and diplomacy before some cricket finally broke through. It’s been that kind of a build-up to the latest installment of India-Pakistan cricket match. But the general mood around both camps 24 hours out from the encounter was calm. Yadav, in his fourth match as captain in this fixture, was particularly chirpy. When told by a Pakistan journal- India head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav (R) | PTI ist that Agha would prefer to play the strongest Indian XI with respect to Abhishek Sharma, Yadav said: “Okay, then we will play Abhishek (smiles).” When another scribe asked him about shaking hands at the toss, he quipped: “Eat well, sleep well, wait for 24 hours (to find out).” By 7 PM on Sunday tension will be back with over a billion people across borders will again turn to 22 people on a cricket field to bring them joy and light.  P11 Today’s Matches 11am: Nepal vs West Indies (Mumbai) 3pm: USA vs Namibia (Chennai) 7pm: India vs Pakistan (Colombo) E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday laid the foundation stone for a `100 crore textile park and `187 crore disaster recovery and data centre in his home district of Keonjhar. Launching the two projects at a function organised on the campus of Dharanidhar University the chief minister said , Keonjhar will no longer be identified solely with mineral and steel but emerge as a diversified industrial hub. Majhi said an ultra-modern apparel manufacturing unit by Hindalco Industries Limited, the Aditya Birla Group’s metal flagship, will come up on seven acre within the park, with a projected annual production capacity of 24 lakh garments. “The state government has allotted land for the project. Once operational, the unit is expected to create around 1,200 jobs, significantly benefitting local communities, especially women and youth of the region,” he said. The chief minister said gar- Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at the foundation laying ceremony in Keonjhar | Express ments of renowned brands such as Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly, and Peter England will be manufactured in the unit and exported to global markets. “It is a matter of proud privilege for all of us and this project supports Odisha’s broader goal of expanding value-added industries beyond mining and heavy manufacturing,” Majhi said. The chief minister said the textile sector has significant potential to create jobs, particularly for women and youth. Referring to the Odisha Tex 2025 conclave held in Bhubaneswar last July, Majhi said 33 MoUs worth `7,800 crore were signed, with an employment potential for over 53,000 people across the Continued on P5 state.  WITH THIS ISSUE The Great Indian Art Mafia PLUS 12 P AGES