kochi l tuesday l march 16, 2021 l `7.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION Beyonce breaks records as women rule Grammys 2021 Women artistes emerged big winners in the usually male dominated top categories at the 63rd Grammy Awards R&B singer H.E.R. Most awarded female artiste in history With 28 Grammy wins in all, Beyonce broke the record of veteran singer Alison Krauss. She trails only classical conductor Sir George Solti, who still holds 31 Grammys. She was nominated in nine categories and won in four, including best rap song with Megan Thee Stallion for Savage remix, Best R&B performance for Black Parade and best music video for Brown Skin Girl ■ BTS ‘i can’t breathe’ is song of the year ■ R&B singer H.E.R. won song of the year for I Can’t Breathe, which quotes the last words of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who died while being arrested by police in Minneapolis last year Canadian YouTuber Lilly Singh turned up on the red carpet wearing a mask displaying “I stand with Farmers” (pic far left) The popular korean boy band lost to lady gaga and Ariana Grande | P9 CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ WARANGAL ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Naidu faces FIR left off blocks, rivals play catch-up To restore image, Cong heat in land scam looks for woman leaders KERALA ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS 2021 Completely new angle in Amaravati land row as it pertains to deals after capital project was in place Naidu pertains to alienation of “assigned lands”, which form part ara Chandrababu Naidu is in of the aggregated 25,000-30,000 the dock. The three-time chief acres. According to the investigaminister has been linked to tions done thus far by the AP govwhat has now come to be ernment agencies, approximately known as the ‘Amaravati land 500 acres of assigned land had scam’, which involved aggregation been purchased by different perof thousands of acres for the pro- sons after the announcement of posed capital of the divided state the capital city. The crux of the of Andhra Pradesh. charge in this case is The Crime Investigathat the AP governpress tion Department (CID) clusive ment later issued a GO of Andhra Pradesh is granting one-time exlearnt to have regisemption allowing altered an FIR against Naidu for ienation of such lands purchased various procedural irregularities by non-assignees for the capital with regard to decisions taken in project. Thus, they would stand to relation to the capital city project. gain from the model prepared by As chief minister of Andhra the Naidu gover nment under Pradesh, Naidu held dual capacity which 1,450-1,500 sq yards of develas he was also the Chairman of the oped commercial and residential AP Capital Region Deplots would be given velopment Authority . Expanding scope for every acre surrenT he case, which tied to more probe dered. The “returnable throws up a completeplots” have also been Whether the scope of ly new angle in the allotted to those who the FIR against Naidu Amaravati land scam, purchased and surrenwill be enlarged to has been registered dered the assigned under Section 120 B invoke provisions of the lands, primarily given (conspiracy) and Sec- Prevention of Corruption to SCs and STs. Act will depend on tions 166, 167 and 217 It is understood that further investigation of the IPC, read with even a formal sanction Prohibition of Asof the Cabinet has not signed Lands Alienation Act of been obtained before the GO in 1977 and the SC/ST Prevention of question was issued. File notings Atrocities Act. A former minister by bureaucrats that such a deciin Naidu’s Cabinet, P Narayana, sion would be in contravention of has also been named in the FIR law were reportedly ignored. “It is and summons to appear before the possible that those in power take CID have been issued to both. certain decisions with bonafide inNaidu served two terms as chief tentions, even if they are proved minister of the undivided Andhra wrong. But, in this case, the end Pradesh and the third as CM of the beneficiary is known prior to grant divided AP after bifurcation from of exemption. Hence, the conspir2014 to 2019. acy a source explained. ,” continued on: P5 One of the major charges against  G S Vasu N Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan submits his nomination papers as the LDF candidate in Dharmadom on Monday | express B53 lakh Pinarayi’s assets Pinarayi Vijayan cited he has cash deposit and cash in hand to the tune of I2,04,048.51 and landed property worth I51.95 lakh. His wife T Kamala has cash and gold worth I29,76,717.61 and landed property to the tune of I35 lakh. Lavalin case in CM’s affidavit SNC Lavalin case has found mention in Pinarayi Vijayan’s affidavit. It is mentioned as a “case registered under Sections 13 (2) of Prevention of Corruption Act and Sections 120, 406, 420, 425 and 471 of IPC”. The offence cited was contract entered into for unlawful gain. P4 Kunjammad in Kuttiyadi ‘ready for kazhakoottam’ Kozhikode: Putting an end to week-long uncertainty, the CPM on Monday named district secretariat member K P Kunjammad Kutty the candidate for the Kuttiyadi seat, which the party took back from Kerala Congress (M) after protest. P4 Thrissur: BJP leader Sobha Surendran has expressed her willingness to contest in the assembly elections from Kazhakoottam constituency. “This is for believers of Lord Ayyappa,” Sobha said about her candidature. P4 express read Chemancheri passes away Kozhikode: Kathakali maestro Chemancheri Kunhiraman Nair, 105, passed away on Monday. He played a key role in teaching kathakali besides formulating ‘Kerala Natanam’ along with Guru Gopinath. 16 pages, including 4 pages of KOCHI Express Batla House case convict gets death IS module busted in New Delhi, NIA raids eight places in Kerala S a n a S h a k i l @ New Delhi The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday carried out simultaneous raids on eight places in the state including Kollam, Malappuram, Kannur and Kasaragod after another Islamic State (IS) module comprising Keralites was busted in New Delhi two days ago. Apart from Kerala, the NIA also conducted raids in Karnataka and New Delhi. According to NIA sources, the New Delhi unit of the agency registered a case two days ago related to an IS module mostly comprising seven persons Ariz Khan, convicted in the killing of a police officer in the 2008 Batla House encounter in Delhi, was sentenced to death on Monday by a Delhi court, which said it is the most appropriate punishment for ‘dreaded terrorists’ like him. “Nature of offence and manner of committing the crime caused extreme indignation to the society in this case,” Additional Sessions Judge Sandeev Yadav said, declaring that there was no doubt that Ariz and his accomplices fired at police officials “without any provocation”. The encounter between the Delhi Police and a bunch of Indian Mujahideen members holed up in a flat in South Delhi had led to the death of Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma while two others sustained injuries. The court also imposed a fine of `11 lakh on Ariz, of which `10 lakh was ordered to be given to Sharma’s family . E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @Kochi from Kerala who were allegedly planning to carry out targeted killings across the country . The NIA with the assistance of Delhi Special Cell arrested a Keralite identified as Mohammed Ameen, alias Abu Yahya, in New Delhi who was trying to join an IS group in Jammu and Kashmir for jihadi activities against India. He returned from Bahrain in March 2020. He had travelled to Jammu and Kashmir last year but failed to contact the IS-backed group in the valley and had been stationed in New Delhi for the past two months for the purpose. rajya sabha flags British racism E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi Days after a tell-all interview of Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle and the controversy over Indian-origin Rashmi Samant, who was forced to resign as president of the Oxford University Students Union, the issue of racism in the UK figured in the Rajya Sabha on Monday . Just last week, the UK Parliament had debated the ongoing agitation against the new farm laws in India and criticised the alleged violation of human rights of protesters. The Centre hit back sharply calling it an “unwar, ranted and tendentious” debate. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India would take it up with Britain. As a friend, India also has concerns about UK’s reputational impacts, he added. gender right Admit transpeople into NCC: High Court E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kochi The transgender community has a reason to cheer as the Kerala High Court on Monday allowed a petition filed by Hina Haneefa, a transwoman and a degree student of T hir uvananthapuram University College, seeking her admission into the National Cadet Corps (NCC). The court also directed the NCC to amend but that list may be reworked. In all likelihood, Jyothi ViA DAY after state Mahila Con- jayakumar, who made a name gress president Lathika Sub- as the translator of Rahul Ganhash quit all her party posts dhi’s speeches during his reand got her head tonsured in cent visits to the state, is expublic in protest against deny- pected to be pitted against ing her a seat, the central lead- CPM’s V K Prasanth in Vattiership swung into action, ask- yoorkavu. Another name being ing the state unit to ensure considered is Youth Congress women representation while state secretary Veena S Nair. finalising the six The candidates contentious seats. Sudhakaran may in Dharmadom and Nine woman cantake on Pinarayi Vadakara too have didates had figured not been named yet. Speculations over the in the Congress list After holding talks candidacy of Kannur MP announced on Sunw i t h t h e R M P, K Sudhakaran in Dharday. However, with Ramesh Chennithmadom are rife among Lathika’s resignaala said leader K K Congress workers. Soution denting the Rema would contest rces close to the leader party’s image, the from Vadakara. deny such a possibility national leadership A Congress leadhas asked the Keraer told TNIE that la unit to find potential woman more trouble is brewing as all leaders. The announcement of candidates being considered — candidates in six contentious except Firoz Kunnnamparamseats was eventually postponed bil — belong to the Oommen to Tuesday . Chandy camp. The state leadership had ze“The ‘ ’ camp’s grievance has A roed in on P C Vishnunadh been that Chandy’s loyalists (Vattiyoorkavu), T Siddique were sidelined. If they are in(Kalpetta), V V Prakash (Nil- cluded in the final list, the ‘I’ ambur), Kallada Ramesh group will not sit idle. If a wom(Kundara), Firoz Kunnampara- an is fielded from Vattiyoorkambil (Tavanur) and Riyaz Muk- vu, then Vishnunadh will move koli (Pattambi) for the seats, to Kundara,” said the leader. C y nt h i a C h a n d r a n @ T’Puram in six months Section 6 of the National Cadet Corps Act and include transgender persons in the criteria for enrolment in the corps. Justice Anu Sivaraman observed that Hina is entitled to enrolment in the NCC senior girls division and the rejection of her request was unsustainable. She is permitted to participate in the selection process on the basis of her application and if she is successful, she should be enrolled in the NCC unit of University College. The court held that the decision should be taken within a month. Raghul Sudheesh, counsel for the petitioner, said the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, bans unfair discrimination against trans people in educational establishments. The court had earlier directed the NCC unit of University College to keep one seat vacant. Who & Where CONGRESS Nilambur: V V Prakash Kalpetta: T Siddique Not finalised Vattiyoorkavu, Dharmadom, Pattambi, Tavanur, Kundara RMP (UDF-backed) Vadakara: K K Rema IUML Punalur: Abdurahiman Randathani CPM Kuttiyadi: Kunjammad Kutty CPI Tirurangadi: Niyas Pulikkalakath