HYDERABAD l Thursday l July 09, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 18 l late cITY EDITION Heavy monsoon rains disrupt normal lives in delhi, Mumbai Building collapses in Pune, 16 feared trapped Heavy monsoon rains battered large parts of the country on Wednesday, triggering flash floods and widespread disruption to rail and road traffic ■ 61.1 mm One dead, at least five missing in Delhi Many parts of Maharashtra continued to grapple with the monsoon fury. In Pune’s Pimpri-Chinchwad, at least 16 people were feared trapped after a huge mound of garbage crashed onto a three-storey building, causing it to collapse. Mumbai too reported no respite after days of heavy rainfall. Local train services were delayed and at least 9 city-bound flights were diverted ■ In Delhi, one person died and five to six others were feared trapped after an under-construction building collapsed in the Rohini area. Incessant rains left many areas waterlogged, causing traffic snarls The IMD has issued a flash flood alert in parts of Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and the Konkan region rain in Mumbai’s island city during 48 hours till Wednesday 8 a.m. 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 Markets tank as Trump says Iran peace deal ‘over’ Sensex and Nifty tumble over 2% each, crude oil prices soar 6% as West Asia crisis deepens A r s had K han @ New Delhi BSE SENSEX in a dramatic escalation that further strained the fragile truce in West Asia and sent shockwaves through global markets, US President on Wednesday said the interim ceasefire pact with Iran “is over” and ongoing peace negotiations are “a waste of time”. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit at Turkish capital Ankara on Wednesday, Trump also threatened to strike Tehran’s infrastructure and seize the Kharg Island—Iran’s principal oil export terminal that handle 90% of the country’s crude exports. When asked whether the Memorandum of Understanding with Iran was over, Trump said: “It’s a very interesting question. I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them... As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time.” The comments came a day after the US launched a series of strikes against Iran in retaliation for Tehran’s attacks on three commercial vessels in Oman’s territorial waters on the southern half of the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday Iran has been warn. ing ships against using the newly announced maritime corridor near the Oman coast. Responding to US strikes, Iran said on Wednesday that it hit back by targeting US bases in Bahrain and Ku w a i t w i t h change: -1,677.12 (-2.15%) 79,000 76,503.60 78,000 76,000 9 am Prev. Close 78,180.72 11 am 1 pm 3 pm 4 pm Day’s close 76,503.60 missiles and drones. The fresh escalation spooked global equity markets, spiked oil prices, and put the rupee under severe selling pressure. Indian markets on Wednesday lost most of the gains made since a peace deal was brokered between Iran and the US, with the Sensex and Nifty tumbling over 2%. The two indices had gained 2.5% since the announcement of the ceasefire on June 15. The Nifty declined 517 points, or 2.12%, to settle at 23,882 while the Sensex fell 1,677.12 points, or 2.15%, to close at 76,503.60. Investors lost more than `8 lakh crore as the market capitalisation of BSE-listed firms came down from `480.20 lakh crore to `472.02 lakh crore. Meanwhile, Brent crude price surged more than 6% to $79 per barrel while the rupee declined around 0.71% to 95.50 per dollar. Global markets were under pressure, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average Futures falling 1% after key Asian markets including Japan’s Nikkei 225 and South Korea’s Kospi falling 2% and 6%, respectively  . P12 I don’t want to deal with them (Iran) anymore… it’s a waste of time. I’ll let our wonderful negotiators keep talking if they want, but I don’t see it. I don’t like these people — US President Donald Trump climb for telangana schools in centre’s index ‘Deserved it’, says mom as gangrape accused shot dead S U B H E N D U M A I T I @ Kolkata One of the prime accused in the gangrape and murder of a 12year-old girl in Baruipur in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district was shot dead by the police during an alleged encounter on Wednesday . Sources said the police shot Prabhas Mondal after he allegedly snatched a revolver from one of the policemen accompanying him, and opened fire in an attempt to escape from custody . Meanwhile, Mondal’s mother refused to claim his body saying , he has received the punishment he deserved. “The little girl died after suffering from immense pain. My son got what he deserved for what he did,” Sadhya Mondal said. “I told them (police) I would not go to collect his body and nobody from the family will either. I do not want to see him,” she said, adding that her son never obeyed her and was a drug addict. His wife Chanpa Mondal also refused to defend him, saying she has endured a lot of abuse while living with him. “I cannot say whether he committed this crime. After our marriage, I saw his behaviour. I have endured a lot of abuse,” she said. stars ready for eight-lifting Following a rest day, the last-eight stage of the World Cup gets underway with France taking on Morocco at Boston Stadium. A look... All eyes on Mbappe Norway vs England Friday | 12:30 AM* (*IST Saturday) While La Roja haven’t hit the dizzying attacking heights of France, they will fancy their chances of navigating a Belgium side who have slowly built momentum over the course of the tournament Saturday | 2:30 AM* (*IST Sunday) Two of the best No 9s in the world — Harry Kane and Erling Haaland — will go head-to-head when England face Norway. This tie promises to be an epic one Les Bleus begin their final push towards a third World Cup crown when they face Morocco. Kylian Mbappe, who’s in the race for the Golden Boot with seven goals, will once again be the man in focus. Morocco, the sole surviving African side in the competition, are known to be a disciplined unit and they’ll be hoping to cause an upset | P13 Argentina vs Switzerland Saturday | 6:30 AM* (*IST Sunday) Lionel Messi & Co barely managed to survive against Egypt and they’ll face yet another tricky tie when they face an upbeat Swiss side, who will be looking to make history by booking a spot in the semis for the first time Today’s match: France vs Morocco @ Boston Stadium | 1:30 AM* (*IST Friday) 77,000 5 places Spain vs Belgium Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 for school education for 2025–26 says state schools jumped from 31st to 26th in national ranking | P2 No Delhi angle in Nijjar case as US indicts Bishnoi, Brar H a r p r eet B a j w a @ Chandigarh The US Justice Department on Tuesday indicted gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Satinderjeet Singh a.k.a Goldy Brar for commissioning the sensational murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Canadian gurdwara in November 2023, an assassination that had fractured Ottawa-New Delhi relations. Called Operation Hard Ball, the years-long federal investigation involved law-enforcement agencies in the US, Canada and Europe. Though the then Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau had blamed India for the hit job, investigators found no evidence linking Indian government officials to Nijjar’s murder, said Lisa Moreland, Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Bishnoi is in a high-security prison in Gujarat while Brar is on the loose in the US. The FBI has announced a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to Brar’s arrest. As many as 24 gangsters of Indian origin have been arrested under Operation Hard Ball — 14 of them were in the US, three in Canada and one in Spain, while others were already in custody . JPC report on single higher edu regulator bill before Parl session PR E E T H A N A IR @ New Delhi The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan (VBSA) Bill, 2025 is set to adopt the report ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament, paving the way for the government to table the legislation that seeks to establish a single higher education regulator. The proposed regulator will replace the University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education, and the National Council for Teacher Education. According to sources, the 31-member Parliamentary panel headed by BJP MP Daggubati Purandeswari is likely to adopt the draft report at its next meeting on July 17. The government is expected to introduce the Bill during the upcoming Parliament session after incorporating the committee’s recommendations. The VBSA Bill, introduced during the last winter session, was sent to the JPC after protests from the Opposition. Sources said opposition members will formally record dissent notes and Govt cracks down on Dharani irregularities, suspends tahsildar seek deferment of the report’s adoption, saying several provisions could significantly change the structure of the higher education system and undermine institutional autonomy . During an eight-hour meeting on Tuesday the committee held a , clause-by-clause examination of the Bill. Opposition MPs proposed multiple amendments, raising concerns over excessive centralisation of powers, encroachment on the role of states, bureaucratisation of higher education, dilution of the UGC’s consultative mandate, and the absence of funding mechanism. Unlike the UGC, the proposed commission will not be responsible for disbursing grants to universities. Funding decisions will rest with the Ministry of Education. Some MPs sought a mechanism for state participation and safeguards on quality standards and fee transparency for foreign universities and operating in India. According to the government, the bill is aimed at reducing overlaps among multiple bodies. Hardeep Singh Nijjar Lawrence Bishnoi Goldy Brar Punjab SHO named in extortion racket The FBI has accused Tanda SHO Gurinderjit Singh Nagra of acting on the behest of gangster Bhagwanpuria to extort $400,000 from a family in US by threatening to implicate them in a false murder case in India. Punjab Police shifted him to the police lines pending inquiry The biggies among the other gangsters include Rohit Godara and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria. The impact of the trans-national crime syndicates was especially felt by the Indian diaspora, the Justice Department’s statement said. Law enforcement is looking for 10 fugitives — seven in the US, two in India and one in Europe. In all, 37 gangsters were indicted, including two who ran their global criminal syndicates from Indian jails. Bishnoi, the indictment said, projected an image of himself as a patriot, nationalist and deeply religious individual on social media, but presided over a sweeping criminal enterprise that spanned multiple continents. He personally directed political assassinations, murders, shootings, extortions, kidnappings, drug trafficking, human smuggling, and other crimes from jail cell through smuggled mobile phones. Bishnoi operated through lieutenants Brar in North America, Rohit Godara (37) of Rajasthan in Europe and Sukhraj Singh Kang (58) of Punjab. “Both Brar and Godara effectively spoke for Bishnoi… and used violence to cultivate a climate of fear, in particular in India and among Indian diaspora communities worldwide,” for extortion, it stated. As for the Bhagwanpuria gang, it operates as a transnational criminal syndicate headquartered in India with members across the US, Canada, the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. This group has more than 1,000 members and associates worldwide; more than 100 of them in the US alone, the statement said. If convicted, many of the accused could face a mandatory minimum prison sentence between 10 years in federal prison and life imprisonment. E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Siddipet A day after Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy announced a forensic audit of land transactions carried out through the Dharani portal in Siddipet and RajannaSircilla districts, the state government on Wednesday suspended Kukunoorpally tahsildar Dandi Sujatha for allegedly transferring nearly 400 acres of land without the knowledge or consent of the owners. Confirming the action, Siddipet collectorate administrative officer P Raj Kumar told TNIE that the forensic audit had found that Sujatha had transferred assigned lands belonging to about 20 farmers to other individuals. “A detailed inquiry is required into the matter. There is no provision for issuing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for government-assigned lands. Such lands cannot be bought or sold. However, the tahsildar facilitated the transfer of assigned lands in violation of the rules,” Raj Kumar said. Official sources said Sujatha allegedly carried out the illegal transactions during her one-and-a-half-year tenure as Kukunoorpally tahsildar. She had earlier served in Dhoolmitta and Mirdoddi mandals in Siddipet district. Sources alleged that despite the government not taking a policy decision on Sada Bainamas — informal land sale agreements executed on plain paper — Sujatha processed land transfers using this method through the Dharani portal. According to preliminary findings, she allegedly executed 56 illegal land transactions. The suspension is said to have sent shockwaves through the Revenue department. Officials said employees involved in questionable land transactions in Siddipet and Rajanna-Sircilla districts were anxious as the government has intensified scrutiny of irregularities linked to the Dharani portal. Meanwhile, allegations have surfaced that leaders belonging to both the BRS and the ruling Congress had registered large extents of assigned land in the names of benamis in Sangareddy district as well. Sources said the forensic audit had revealed that nearly 500 acres of government land had changed hands in Siddipet district alone. Bhatti rubbishes Kishan’s claim on Tadicherla E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Wednesday rubbished Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy’s claim that the NDA government allocated the Tadicherla-2 coal block to Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) bypassing the auction process. Speaking to reporters at Praja Bhavan, Vikramarka pointed out that the Tadicherla-2 coal block had been allotted to SCCL in 2013 by the UPA government and that the Coal Ministry had only recently granted prior approval for the mining lease. He asserted that it was not a fresh allocation and alleged that the BJP-led NDA government had delayed granting the lease despite repeated requests from Telangana. Vikramarka said the delay had prevented SCCL from commencing mining opera- tions in the block, causing significant losses to the company However, he welcomed . the Centre’s decision to finally grant the mining lease approval. “Since the Congress government came to power in the state, we have consistently pursued the matter with the Centre. It is only because of our efforts that the mining lease approval was finally granted,” he said, while demanding that all coal blocks located in Telangana be allotted to SCCL. continued on p4 Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka addresses the media at Praja Bhavan in Hyderabad on Wednesday | Vinay Madapu drop by drop Man pays `1.1 lakh in `10 coins to buy bike E x p r e ss N e ws Se r v i c e @ Nalgonda Konde Raghupathi hands over 11,000 coins of `10 denomination at the motorcycle showroom in Chityal on Wednesday Most people do not think much about loose change, often spending it on a cup of tea or a packet of biscuits. But for Konde Raghupathi of Veliminedu in Chityal mandal, every `10 coin was a step towards fulfilling a long-cherished dream. After patiently saving the coins for years, he bought a Splendor Plus bike worth `1.10 lakh entirely with `10 coins. Raghupathi made it a habit to set aside every `10 coin that came his way. Over the years, his savings grew steadily even, tually reaching `1.10 lakh. Armed with bags full of `10 coins, he walked into a motorcycle showroom, where the staff was initially taken aback wondering how they would count such a large number of coins. However, impressed by Raghupathi’s perseverance, they accepted the payment and handed over the keys to his brand-new motorcycle.