HYDERABAD  SUNDAY  APRIL 04, 2021  `12.00  PAGES 24  LATE CITY EDITION Frontliner window closed Centre on Saturday said no fresh registration of frontliners will be allowed to prevent the misuse of provisions by ineligible people to jump the queue SHARP SPIKE 89,129 cases recorded on Saturday 714 fatalities, the highest in over six months 47,913 cases reported from Maharashtra, followed by Karnataka (4,991) and Chhattisgarh (4,174) The last time such a high spike was reported was on September 20, 2020, when 92,605 infections were recorded in 24 hours IPL UNDER COVID SCARE 50% CASES IN 10 DISTS 6,58,909 active cases on Saturday (5.32% of total infections) 10 DISTRICTS: Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur, Thane, Nashik, Bengaluru Urban, Aurangabad, Delhi, Ahmednagar and Nanded (50% of the total active caseload in the country) PROBLEM STATES Maharashtra has shown a nine-fold jump in the number of active cases in the past two months In percentage terms, Punjab has reported the maximum increase in active cases Five states — Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, K’taka and Chhattisgarh — together account for 77.3% of the total active cases A raft of Covid-19 positives dampened the build-up to the next edition of the IPL, scheduled to begin on April 9. Here's a look at developments ■ ■ ■ ■ Axar Patel (DC) becomes second IPL player after Nitish Rana (KKR) to test positive. Rana started training again on Saturday More than 15 others, including six event management officials, also test positive Organisers bringing in different set of groundstaff to tend to Wankhede Stadium after they also test positive Reports suggest Hyderabad kept as a back-up option to shift games but Mumbai to remain venue as of now | P8, 11 24,69,59,192 SAMPLES TESTED FOR COVID-19 UP TO APRIL 2 EIGHT STATES Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh account for 81.42% of single-day infections 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 ANNOUNCEMENT The cover price of The New Sunday Express has been revised to `12 with effect from April 04, 2021. — Editor PANEL FOR NEW LAW TO UNCAGE CBI A Parliamentary Standing Committee has recommended to the Centre to assess if there’s a need for new laws to vest CBI with more power | P8 Hoping for best, TS prepares for worst CHARGE-SHEET EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad AS Telangana stares at a second wave of the pandemic, the State’s Health Department has gotten into high gear with a slew of measures, one of them being a new mobile application to improve the ‘trace-test’ mechanism. Also, the State is returning to its phase of high-preparedness by resuming the functioning of quarantine centres, dedicating one hospital in each district to Covid-19 treatment, prepping up oxygen availability in hospitals, resuming Covid-19 call centres, and allocating special TRS leaders linked to Bengaluru drug bust? EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad THE Telangana police has started investigating the drug peddling racket busted by Bengaluru police in the month of February this year, in which the names of some leaders of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), including public representatives, have allegedly cropped up. The Bengaluru police is expected to serve notices to these TRS leaders. The Bengaluru police nabbed four accused in connection with the racket including a Nigerian national who was playing a key role. As part of the investigation, the police seized his belongings including his laptop and some mobile phones. According to sources, among the various phone numbers saved in the Nigerian national’s phone, the Bengaluru police found mobile numbers of some TRS leaders as well apart from the contacts of some celebrities. As part of the process of investigation, the Bengaluru police shared information with Telangana police and is seeking further information on the same. 1,078 cases Telangana’s daily Covid-19 tally crossed the 1,000-mark on Friday with 1,078 fresh cases. As many as six deaths due to Covid-19 — an unusually high number for the State — were also reported ambulances. Telangana is looking to convert a few hospitals into dedicated Covid-19 health centres. Health Minister Eatala Rajender explained these measures in detail on Saturday after , a review meeting with various Health Department heads. The new app introduced by the Health Department sends texts to the primary contacts of all the people who test positive for Covid-19 in Primary Health Centres (PHC). The SMS will alert the contacts on the need to get tested immediately, while helping the Health Department officials trace them easily . A dedicated Covid-19 hospital will be set up in each district that will have wards containing beds with oxygen lines, dedicated staff and medicines. For the purpose, the government is providing 22 additional Liquid Oxygen Tanks to hospitals. Animals transported illegally on daily basis A senior Telangana police officer stated that the Bengaluru police is taking up investigation based on the contact numbers saved in the Nigerian national’s phone and is yet to come across any strong evidence. The Bengaluru police has also sought details of the accused held recently by Telangana police in similar drug peddling cases. It has come to light that the Bengaluru police has also served notice to a small-time Telugu actor in connection with the drug peddling case. The actor appeared for questioning before the police there a few days ago, which was followed by investigation in Telangana by police officials from Hyderabad, Rachakonda and Cyberabad police commissionerates. The Bengaluru police have also collected details of a rave party that was held at the farmhouse of a TRS leader and busted by the Rachakonda police on March 12, wherein around 90 persons were held. The investigating officers suspect that the drugs supplied to the farmhouse party are linked to the recent drug bust in Bengaluru. Reports suggest that the cattle were being transported from Cherla mandal and neighbouring villages in Chattishgarh to Manugur town in Kothagudem. From there, some of the animals were supposed to be shifted to slaughter houses in Hyderabad. The motorboat operators have been transporting the animals in this manner on a daily basis Operators at a ferry point in Peddipally village of Kothagudem district transport cattle by tying them to a motorboat CATTLE TIED TO MOTORBOAT, DRAGGED ACROSS GODAVARI EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Khammam A video being circulated on social media has brought to light the inhumane treatment of animals in Peddipally village of Cherla mandal in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district. The visuals show at least a dozen cattle tied to a motorboat at a ferry point, and dragged across the Godavari river for about a kilometre or two. It is learnt that the practice is quite common in the village. Reports suggest that these cattle were being transported from Cherla mandal and neighbouring villages in Chattishgarh to Manugur town in Kothagudem. From there, some of the animals were supposed to be shifted to slaughter houses in Hyderabad. The motorboat operators have been transporting the animals in this manner on a daily basis. Cattle that are illegally transported are for sale at low prices at weekly shanties in Cherla mandal as well as in Chhattisgarh villages. They attract many buyers. A local trader, while speaking to Express, said that every week, more than 1,000 cattle are transported to Hyderabad from Cherla and Chattishgarh. Though local government authorities are aware of the matter, no action has been taken yet. BJP district secretary A Subba Rao raised the issue on Saturday, and demanded that the Telangana government put an end to animal cruelty by imposing stringent norms. When Express contacted Cherla Police Circle Inspector (CI) B Ashok, he said he would launch an inquiry into the incident. FILED AGAINST 8 PFI MEMBERS Indicts them for plotting riots in Hathras in the aftermath of gang-rape of Dalit girl N A M I TA B A J PA I @ Lucknow THE Special Task Force (STF) of the Uttar Pradesh police on Saturday filed a 5,000-page charge-sheet against eight members of Popular Front of India (PFI) in the Mathura additional district judge and sessions court on Saturday The . court has posted the matter for next hearing on May 1. Those named in the chargesheet include journalist Siddique Kappan, Atiqur Rehman, Rauf Sharif, Mohammad Danish, Alam, Masood Ahmad, Feroz Khan and Asad Badruddin. All the accused were charged with receiving `80 lakh from financial institutions in Muscat and Doha for fomenting unrest in UP . The STF had arrested five PFI members, including Kappan, in Mathura on October 5, 2020, while they were on the way to Hathras allegedly to meet the family of a Dalit girl who was gangraped. The FIR against them said they were going to Hathras with an intention “to breach the peace” as part of a “conspiracy”. The STF on February 16 last claimed to have busted a terror plot with the arrest of two PFI activists — Feroz Charges include sedition, UAPA STF sources said the PFI members were charged with sedition, wantonly giving provocation with the intent to cause riot, injure or defile places of worship to insult religion, raising funds for terrorist act, conspiracy under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), among others Khan and Asad Badruddin — in Lucknow. A huge cache of explosives, arms and incriminating documents was recovered from them. They were allegedly planning a serial blast in Uttar Pradesh. According to highly placed sources, the STF has indicted the PFI members for plotting caste riots in Hathras and adjoining districts in the aftermath of the gang-rape of the Dalit girl. The victim died at Delhi’s Safdarjung hospital on September 29, 2020. Sources claimed one among those named in the chargesheet by the STF is Mohammad Danish, who was arrested by the Delhi Police for hatching a conspiracy to incite communal riots in northeast Delhi. N’SAGAR BYPOLL Veteran Jana exudes confidence Seventy-four-year-old K Jana Reddy, a seven-time MLA and former minister, is competing with youngsters Nomula Bhagath (TRS) and P Ravi Kumar (BJP) in the Nagarjuna Sagar bypoll for the Congress. Even as the mercury levels are increasing, the septuagenarian has been criss-crossing the segment with the slogan of “save democracy”. Exclusive interview PAGE 4 Maoists kill five jawans, Police find injure many in ambush explosives TSBIE defers Intermediate practicals in Mulugu E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Raipur E N S @ Hyderabad AMIDST continuous increase in Covid-19 cases in the State, the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) postponed the State’s Intermediate practical examinations on Saturday The postponed examina. tions will be conducted from May 29 to June 7, 2021, after the theory examinations. The theory exams will be held between May 1 and May 20 for Inter 1st and IInd year students. According to TSBIE Commissioner Syed Omer Jaleel, “Due to Covid19, the practical examinations for general and vocational courses scheduled to be held from April 7 to April 20 have been postponed and will be conducted after the theory examinations.” The board also informed that exams of two subjects, Ethics and Human Values and Environmental Education for Intermediate 1st year, will be held in ‘assignment work from home’ format instead of physical examinations. Within the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits, more hospitals will be converted into Covid-19 health centres, including the Government Nizamia Tibbi Hospital, Fever Hospital and Chest Hospital. Quarantine centres for people with no facilities to isolate themselves at home will be resumed. Nature Cure Hospital and Ayurveda Hospital have been slated for this purpose. The Health Minister, meanwhile, warned private hospitals not to overcharge patients, and stick to the government-fixed rates for Covid-19 treatment. SUMMER GUARD A traffic police constable uses cardboards as protection against the scorching summer heat in Hyderabad | VANI BUDDHAVARAPU EXPRESS READ Jailed prof Saibaba sacked from DU college New Delhi: Delhi University’s Ram Lal Anand College has terminated the service of assistant professor G N Saibaba, who is serving life term in Nagpur Central Prison for alleged Maoist links. According to a memorandum received by Saibaba’s wife Vasantha on Thursday, his services were terminated from the afternoon of March 31. Terming the development a “witch hunt”, Saibaba’s wife alleged that it was a “violation of employee’s rights” and she would take the matter to court WITH THIS ISSUE THE SPIRIT IS WILLING PLUS 12 PAGES A fierce gun battle between ambushed security forces and Maoists left at least five personnel and two rebels dead in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Saturday. Around a dozen personnel were reported injured. Reinforcements were rushed to the site, but the forces were yet to return from the operation, Director General of Police D M Awasthi said. On Friday night, several parties of the security forces fanned out across the BijapurSukma border on anti-Maoist operations based on intelligence inputs. The ultras ambushed one of the parties near Tarrem on Saturday noon, resulting in a nearly three hour exchange of fire. Two choppers and nine ambulances were rushed to Bijapur to aid the forces, officials said, adding that bodies of two rebels had been recovered from the site. This is the second major Maoist attack, in which the rebels have inflicted casualties EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Mulugu on the forces in the last 10 days in Bastar. On March 23, five personnel of the District Reserve Guards (DRG) were killed and over a dozen were injured in a series of powerful improvised explosive device (IED) blasts triggered by the Maoists who targeted a bus carrying jawans in Narayanpur district. Following the encounter, an emergency meeting of top state and police officials, including intelligence bureau director, was convened in Raipur. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel condemned the incident, calling it a “dastardly act” of the Maoists. Mulugu police, on Saturday, found ammunition and explosives dumped in an agriculture field at Mansingh thanda in the district on Saturday The . police seized 312 bullets and two detonators belonging to the Maoist party . Speaking to the media, Mulugu ASP P Chaitanya said that a team comprising an SI, bomb disposal squad, two VROs, and a photographer went to Mansingh thanda based on reliable intel, and found the ammunition stored in a bucket, which was buried 1.5 metres deep in the agriculture filed. The Maoists have conspired to establish anti-government committees in the villages in a bid to assert its existence, overthrow the democratically elected public representative, and form a revolutionary government, said Chaitanya. He further said that the explosives were meant to target police personnel.