LPG refill booking gap cut to 25 days The Centre has directed oil marketing companies to revise inter-refill booking interval for all domestic LPG consumers move follows dip in refill kozhikode l tuesday l september 08, 2026 l `10.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Defence ministry clears purchases worth L1.1 lakh cr Panel discussion Forces to get advanced choppers, radars; Su-30MKI fighter jets to get major upgrades Police on Monday booked an anchor on a complaint alleging that her remarks during a channel debate were hateful and insulting to Islam. The move came even as the home department directed cops not to rush proceedings in the case registered on her complaint against Abdulla Basil, a leader of the Salafi organisation Wisdom Youth. Kochi City cyber police registered a case against Big TV anchor Aparna Kurup on a complaint filed by Abdul Hakim, a Kasaragod native. However, police have been instructed to hold proceedings in both cases arising from the panel discussion anchored by Aparna on Sunni Muslim leader Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar’s controversial remarks on women’s public life. An FIR was registered against Basil on Saturday on Aparna’s complaint alleging that she was facing cyberattack following his social media post criticising the panel discussion. The complaint against Aparna alleged that her introductory statement during the discussion was derogatory and hurt religious sentiments. Aparna and the channel had earlier tendered an apology . Meanwhile, many UDF leaders, including Muslim Youth League state general secretary and Koduvally MLA P K Firos and Youth Congress leader Rejil Makkutty, demanded that the case against Basil be withdrawn. Firos said no such cases will be registered as long as IUML is in power. “We will not support anyone who uses communal language. But neither will we allow anyone to be implicated for exposing those who indulge in communalism,” he said. Leaders of Wisdom Islamic organisation questioned whether there was a conspiracy behind the case against Basil. It is also learnt that the home department has asked the police to act on a petition filed by Basil against ex-Muslim activist Arif Hussein. The complaint was sent to the chief minister and state police chief on August 12, alleging that Hussein insulted Basil’s mother. The complaint was forwarded to the Chakkarakkal police station but no action was taken until now. Meanwhile, IUML state president Panakkad Syed Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal cautioned against forces waiting to exploit the situation. “The discussions have dented the cultural heritage built through struggles. Insulting comments and hate talks in social media will not help anyone,” he said in a Facebook post.  (With inputs from T’Puram & Kochi) export version of Russia’s R37M missile. Weighing 510 kg THE defence ministry on Mon- and carrying a 60-kg warhead, day cleared military hardware the missile has a range of 200 purchases worth `1.1 lakh km and is designed to engage crore for the Army, Navy and AWACS aircraft, aerial refuelAir Force. Approximately 98% lers and other high-value airof the procurement by value borne assets. will come from Indian For the Navy the DAC cleared , industry . the design, development and The Defence Acquisition subsequent procurement of a Council (DAC) headed marine gas turbine in by Defence Minister the 24-28 MW class, Rajnath Singh gave with the ministry saythe Acceptance of Neing the propulsion cessity (AoN), or insystem “will reduce principle administradependency on foreign tive approvals, for the vendors”. India curdefence acquisitions. rently imports turFor the Air Force, bines for several frontthe DAC cleared “variline destroyers and ous proposals to en- DAC accorded frigates. hance the war-fighting The Navy will also capability of fighters, Acceptance of get Arudhra radars, Necessity to which “will replace transports and helicopters”. Sources said the existing Air Route various these include the overSurveillance Radars acquisition haul of 40 Su-30MKIs proposals at an at various Naval Air by Hindustan AeroStations”. Developed nautics, twice the estimated cost by the DRDO, Arudnumber the PSU had of `1,10,000 cr hra is a four-dimenearlier proposed. IAF sional active phasedDefence ministry operates around 260 array radar with an Su-30MKIs, its maininstrumented range stay fighter fleet. The DAC had of 400 km whichis able to deearlier cleared the overhaul of tect a two-square-metre target Su-30 aero-engine aggregates. at up to 300 km. The approval seeks to adThe Army stands to get more dress a gap in the IAF’s long- HAL-built advanced light helirange beyond-visual-range ca- copters, or Dhruv, to “execute p ab i l i t y, w i t h O p e r at i o n complex missions across all Sindoor underscoring the re- terrains and operational situaquirement. The overhaul cov- tions”. A `8,073 crore deal for ers modifications to allow the 34 ALH Mk-III was signed with Sukhois to fire the RVV-BD, the HAL in March 2024. J A V A R I A R A N A @ New Delhi CBRN recce vehicles The Army is set to get Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear recce vehicles, high mobility vehicles, self-propelled mechanical mine layers, advanced light helicopters, and trawl tanks Acceptance of Necessity AoN is the first step in defence acquisition. The process involves tech evaluation, trials as well as negotiations. Big acquisitions will require more govt approvals Anchor booked, case against Wisdom Youth leader put on ice E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @Kozhikode US market is open for Indian space startups, says ambassador Sergio Gor PA D M I N I D H R U V A R A J & B O S K Y K H A N N A @ Bengaluru US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Monday said that the American market is open for Indian space startups as the two countries move towards ‘co-creation’ from ‘cooperation’ and datasharing. Stressing that NASA and ISRO will work together on the Moon Base Programme, he said: “Make no mistake: we are going back to the Moon, and we want India by our side.” Owner of Delhi hostel arrested in Rajasthan I f rah M u f ti & U dayan K ishore @ New Delhi A day after seven persons were killed when a multi-storey paying guest accommodation collapsed in Satya Niketan, its alleged owner Hariram Gupta was arrested in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, on Monday. Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court ordered a one-week audit of PGs and hostels across the city . Gupta, the 81-year-old retired Air Force Sergeant, was apprehended by Delhi Police teams following a case registered against him for culpable homicide and negligence in maintaining the structure and endangering the safety of others. Meanwhile, the MCD suspended five officials of its South Zone with immediate effect. Gor said the US-India space relationship is moving towards joint technology development, investment in startups and future space missions. “We are no longer just sharing data; we are co-designing instruments, co-funding startups, and coauthoring the future of human discovery,” he said, referring to discussions between the two countries on expanding their civil space partnership. “The American market is open to you. Our investors are watching. Our ecosystems welcome you. We are here to help you make that leap,” he said while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the Bengaluru Space Expo. India’s space sector reforms have ignited a commercial awakening. Innovators like Pixxel and GalaxEye are redefining Earth observation. Digantara is leading the way in space situational awareness. Bellatrix is propelling space forward. Pioneers like Skyroot and Agnikul are building next-generation launch capabilities, he said. He said the US wants to build a direct commercial corridor between American industry and Indian innovators. SC judge shoots off 4th letter to CJI against Raj HC’s justice S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi THE internal war in higher judiciary has intensified with Supreme Court’s Justice Sandeep Mehta writing his fourth consecutive letter to Chief Justice Surya Kant against Rajasthan High Court’s acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma, levelling fresh charges of interfering in an internal judicial enquiry and misconducts. Quoting CJI Surya Kant’s earlier remark Justice Sanjeev that judges should not Prakash Sharma try to “hit sixes” before retirement, Justice Mehta in his fourth letter on August 30 wrote in a reference, “Justice Sharma seems to be possessed of a licence to hit sixes ever since he took over as Acting Chief Justice.” According to sources in the Supreme Court registry, the said internal judicial enquiry relates to allegations that a High Court judicial officer displayed indecent photographs of a lady judicial officer on his phone. A committee was formed, but Justice Sharma allegedly interfered and leaked confidential proceedings. “Justice Sharma has made direct intervention in the enquiry proceedings, hampering the independence of the committee...” Justice Mehta wrote. He alleged that the committee, comprising three female judges of the Rajasthan High Court, reJustice Sandeep corded the minutes and Mehta refused to proceed with the enquiry . Justice Mehta had earlier also written similar letters on August 2, 10 and 17 accusing Justice Sharma of serious misconduct and of “maladministration, malpractices, nepotism and favouritism.” Justice Sharma, however, termed the allegations as baseless and proceeded on leave. The earlier interval for refill booking for rural consumers was 45 days. Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi said on Monday that the decision follows an improvement in LPG supply situation and a reduction in refill backlog Recently, India significantly diversified its LPG imports, with the United States emerging as the country’s largest supplier Gulf war effect on LPG supply Owing to the West Asia crisis, LPG was the worst-hit fuel as India imports 60% of its domestic requirement, with 90% of those from the Gulf 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 ■ ■