TIRUCHY l monday l october 12, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l LATE CITY EDITION Flash flood strikes Nepal again, weeks after deadly disaster A flash flood in the Budhi Gandaki River swept away houses and bridges and damaged three hydropower projects in Gorkha district on Sunday Two women among five persons missing Failure of temporary dam blamed Nepalese authorities rescued more than 80 people, including nine foreign nationals, with the help of four helicopters. Five people, including two women, remain missing. Locals said they fled their homes after hearing loud roaring sounds from the streams around 4 am. Over 40 houses were completely damaged while 27 suffered partial damage, authorities said ■ ■ The flood may have been caused by the failure of a temporary dam created by a landslide near Chumchet in Gorkha district, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said The disaster struck roughly a month and a half after the devastating Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river floods on August 26 700 Security personnel have been mobilised for relief work 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 In spl sitting, court orders restoration of metro, internet, finds prima facie case for contempt SC says peaceful protesters cannot be illegally detained S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi In an unusual special sitting on Sunday a spe, cial bench of the Supreme Court said there can be no illegal detention of those peacefully gathering and that barricades in the national capital must be reviewed immediately based on lawand-order and traffic requirements. The court also held that Metro services and railway facilities shall function normally until and unless they need to be regulated keeping in mind reasonable restrictions envisaged under Article 19 (2). Further, internet facilities should be restored and lawyers and journalists must not be obstructed from discharging professional duties, the court ordered. The court observed that petitioners had prima facie made out a case of contempt against the Centre and Delhi authorities for violating the court’s October 9 directions against “complete prohibition” of transport services. The two-judge Bench of Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana sought a response from Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Chairperson D Thara in the next hearing on October 13. “Free movement of people in the city shall be ensured subject to law and order situation and/ or traffic regulations... There shall be no illegal detention, particularly in cases of peaceful unarmed assemblage of people beyond the area where Section 163 BNSS is in operation,” the court ordered the Centre and Delhi Police. On being informed that a notice board had been put up in the court premises mentioning that Section 163 BNSS had been invoked in and around the precincts of the SC, the bench ordered it removed. The interim directions came on a contempt plea and a habeas corpus petition filed by lawyer Shailendra Mani Tripathi and senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy respectively The SC issued notices in . both cases, and sought a compliance report in the contempt plea. The court accepted the government’s assurance that Metro services would be normalised unless public order situation arose. CJI declines to meet Rahul, Kharge Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has declined to meet leaders from the Congress, including LoP Rahul Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, on Monday. The CJI cited the pendency of related matters before the SC for declining to meet the leaders. Rahul had said the INDIA bloc would meet CJI to submit a memorandum on “vote chori” Police personnel physically remove protestors in Connaught Place, New Delhi on Sunday | Parveen Negi India rejects UN’s ‘interference’ India on Sunday rejected as “unacceptable interference” concerns raised by the United Nations Human Rights Office over detention of protesters, saying authorities had acted in accordance with the law. In a video, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the Constitution guaranteed the right to peaceful assembly, which was safeguarded by the country’s institutions, an independent judiciary and a free media Dream big, pursue ideas sans fear: PM S u b ashini Vi j ayakumar @ Chennai PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asked students to dream big, think differently and pursue their ideas without fear, saying young people could help find solutions to the challenges facing India and the world. Addressing students at the golden jubilee celebrations of Jaigopal Garodia Hindu Vi- The world is looking for solution providers and you have the potential to provide those solutions Prime Minister Narendra Modi dyalaya here, he urged them to contribute to the goal of building a Viksit Bharat by 2047. His appeal came amid protests by student groups, including in Chennai, demanding removal of the CEC. However, he did not refer to the protests in his speech. Stating that students have the potential to provide solutions, he asked them to make the most of opportunities. Binita Jais w al @ Chennai CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke before being released on Sunday along with Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das | PTI CJP leaders say protests won’t stop till cec quits u d ayan kishor e & anup v e rma @ New Delhi HOURS after being released from detention on Sunday Cockroach Janta Party leaders vowed to , intensify their agitation demanding removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, as around 200 protesters were detained and New Delhi remained under a thick security blanket. Following the Supreme Court order after a special hearing earlier in the morning, police partially relaxed the clampdown, including opening of Metro stations and resumption of internet services. The hide-and-seek continued between protesters and security personnel, who kept doing flag marches and chasing protesters away who regrouped to resume the agitation. , CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were released on Sunday morning Police file on the condition that they 20 FIRs would not “breach peace” for Police claimed a year. YouTuber Dhruv that it registered Rathee, after he was released 20 FIRs in in the morning, claimed he connection with was not detained, but “kid- Saturday’s napped” by police. protest. The FIRs CJP co-convener Ranka included charges said he and other leaders related to assault would approach Delhi Police on police and on Monday to seek a date for obstruction of holding a fresh protest at duty, among Jantar Mantar. other offences. At a press conference held On detentions, at Press Club of India, Das police said alleged the government had “preventive turned the state against its arrests” were own citizens and the CJP’s made following agitation would continue. “all procedures”. “Protests will happen not just in Delhi but in the whole country This will . not stop till Gyanesh resigns,” he said. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said he had not signed any bond barring him and other CJP leaders from staging further protests. “I have not signed any bond. We will take to the streets again... We are not afraid of your dictatorship; we will end your dictatorship,” Dipke told reporters at Nagpur airport, before proceeding to Hingoli in Maharashtra to attend the last rites of his grandmother. CPM Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas was injured after Delhi Police allegedly manhandled him in Connaught Place. Brittas said security personnel nearly choked him despite his attempts to identify himself as an MP He was later . admitted to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. Among others detained were CPI leader Annie Raja and members of SFI, AISF and AISA, including Neha Bora and Aishe Ghosh. Reporters Sans Frontieres said “at least 16 journalists were brutally detained”. Paddy cultivation in TN dips 28%; agri dept pins hopes on rabi season B A N B U S E LV A N @ Chennai THE area under paddy cultivation in Tamil Nadu during the kharif season (April-September) dropped by 28%, falling from 17.5 lakh hectares in 202526 to 12.52 lakh hectares this year — a decline of 4.98 lakh hectares. The sharp reduction is chiefly due to the delayed opening of Mettur Dam and lower Cauvery inflows. The agriculture department, however, is banking on increased cultivation during the rabi season (October-March) to achieve TN’s annual foodgrain production target of 125 lakh metric tonnes (MT), which, ac- cording to officials, remains unchanged. Former agriculture production commissioner Dr N Subbaiyan, who was replaced last F riday by N Venkatesh, said crop contingency plans had been sent to all districts and were being imple- Govts change, but our support for TN is unshakeable: PM mented. “Instead of transplantation, the farmers have been advised to adopt direct sowing, which not only reduces water requirements but also helps prevent potential crop damage during the northeast monsoon rains,” said Subbaiyan. During 2025-26, TN achieved 122.43 lakh MT of foodgrain production, against its target of 130.23 lakh MT. He said, “For 2026-27, our target is to produce 125 lakh MT of foodgrains, including 79 lakh MT of paddy. The IMD has forecast normal rainfall during the rabi season. Hence, there is no change in the rabi-season target of 30.26 lakh hectares.” P4 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reaffirmed the union government’s commitment to Tamil Nadu’s development, assuring the state of continued support and cooperation to accelerate its growth. “Viksit Tamil Nadu will lead to Viksit Bharat (Developed TN will lead to a developed India),” Modi said while addressing a gathering at the IIT Madras campus after inaugurating and launching development projects worth over `13,000 crore across the state, including the Poonamallee-Vadapalani stretch of Phase II of the Chennai Metro Rail Project built at a cost of around `4,900 crore. Sharing the stage with Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, Modi described the occasion as a historic day for Tamil Nadu and said the projects spanning metro rail, highways, railways, ports, petroleum and scientific research would improve conn e c t i v i t y, s t r e n g t h e n industries and create employment opportunities. Emphasising cooperative federalism, the prime minister said the centre’s commit- PM Narendra Modi and CM C Joseph Vijay inaugurating projects together in Chennai on Sunday | Ashwin prasath ment to Tamil Nadu would remain unchanged despite changes in the political leadership. Recalling his association with former CMs J Jayalalithaa, M Karunanidhi, O Panneerselvam, Edappadi K Palaniswami and M K Stalin, Modi said, “Governments and political leaderships may change, but our commitment to the people of Tamil Nadu and the rapid development of this great state remains unshakeable. Today we take this , jour ney forward together with Chief Minister Joseph Vijay ji.” P5 E x p r ess Re a d Cop run over during accident inspection Chennai: A 27-year-old police constable, Dinesh Kumar, attached to the Chengalpattu Taluk police station died early on Sunday, hours after he was hit by a car on ThiruporurChengalpattu road. The victim was investigating another road accident at Thiruvadisoolam in Chengalpattu district around 10 pm on Saturday. The speeding car also hit a head constable and a bystander. Chengalpattu Taluk police have arrested three men on charges of drunken driving | P2 Release `5,110 crore central funds without conditions: Vijay to Modi E X P R E S S N EW S S E R V I C E @ Chennai Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure the unconditional release of `5,110 crore in central funds pending under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). Sharing the stage with the Prime Minister at IIT Madras, Vijay highlighted the state’s pending education funds and urged the union government to clear the amount without imposing conditions. Vijay said his government aims to make TN a $1.5-trillion economy by 2036 by prioritising innovation, investment, and infrastructure, while ensuring that the benefits of the progress reach every district beyond Chennai. He emphasised the role of states in the country’s development, noting that Tamil Nadu has consistently contributed to India’s economic, social and cultural progress. “Strong states make a strong India,” he added. CM’s key demands to PM modi Elevated corridor between Madhavaram and Sholavaram (NH87) Six-laning of GST Road (NH32), Chengalpattu-Tiruchy section, Tiruchy– Jayankondam–Karur Sanctioning of stretch (NH81), and Chennai Metro Phase III Karur–Coimbatore corridor Metro Rail expansion High-speed rail corridors to tier-II cities such as in Chennai–Kanniyakumari Coimbatore, Madurai and Chennai–Coimbatore stretches Inter-state metro line connecting Taking up linking of Hosur (TN) with Godavari and Cauvery Bommasandra (K’taka) rivers as a national project PM Modi and CM Vijay flagging off new metro rail services on Sunday | PTI The CM’s statements came as part of a wider appeal for central support for Tamil Nadu’s education, transport and infrastructure projects, as the PM rolled out and laid foundation stones for various development projects worth over `13,000 crore across the state on Sunday . Welcoming the inauguration of the `4,900-crore Chennai Metro Phase II stretch (Poonamallee-Vadapalani), Vijay stressed that growth shall not remain confined to the capital’s corridor. He urged Modi to accord immediate clearance and funding for Chennai Metro Phase III, P5 Day after 12 killed, Riyadh airport struck again A g e nci e s @ Dubai/ Riyadh A fresh Houthi attack targeted Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Sunday a day , after a missile attack there killed 12, including an Indian national, and wounded more than 300 in the sharpest escalation of the ongoing war between Iran-backed Yemeni rebels and Saudi Arabia. A Saudi official said an unidentified projectile struck Terminal 4 of the airport, causing a fire. The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority said there were injuries, but did not specify . About an hour after the airport attack, AFP journalists reported hearing two explosions in quick succession in central Riyadh. The cause of the blasts People gather outside a metro station near Riyadh airport on Saturday | AP was not immediately clear. Earlier in the day, the authorities had extended the airport’s closure till Sunday night. It was also announced that schools in the capital would hold classes online till the end of the week. One Indian national, who was injured in Saturday’s attack and was undergoing treatment, died on Sunday, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh said. “We convey our heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased. We are in touch with the family and will provide all support for ensuring the early repatriation of mortal remains,” the embassy said in a statement. At least 10 more Indians have been injured in the attack. The Ministry of External Affairs condemned the attack. “We strongly condemn the repeated attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport over the past few days, including the dastardly attack on October 10, which have led to loss of lives, injuries and property damage,” its statement read. Amid the attacks, several flights connecting Keralam with Saudi Arabia and other destinations in West Asia have been cancelled.  P9