THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l tuesday l may 24, 2022 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION cait now trains its guns on online pharmacies Deep discounting affect retail chemists The retailers’ body has alleged that e-pharmacies are resorting to deep discounting and violating the Drugs & Cosmetics Act ‘Can’t sell prescription drugs online’ According to the Confederation of All India Traders, e-pharma firms such as Pharmeasy, Medlife, 1Mg, Netmeds and e-commerce giants such as Amazon and Flipkart are offering medicines at 30-40% discount plus free shipping. CAIT says predatory pricing and unfair business practices will impact the livelihood of lakhs of small chemists across the country ■ Predatory pricing is done with the sole intention of eliminating market competition, CAIT said. It also noted that sale of prescription drugs and medicines through online medium is illegal. The Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940, does not permit home delivery as prescription “in original” is required, it added 75% Discount is offered by e-pharmacies for wellness products, Cait alleges 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 India joins pact Petrol tax slashed, but you aren’t getting full relief for Indo-Pacific synergy, growth Ra k e s h Ku m a r @ New Delhi It covers half the population of the world and more than 60% of the global GDP Consumers were in for a shock on Sunday as the reduction in petrol prices thanks to the excise duty cut was lower than they had thought. Vehicle users in Delhi were expecting `9.50 cut in petrol prices but the reduction was only `8.69. Consumers in other cities also had to shell out more than expected. Reason: the state-owned oil marketing companies (OMCs) raised the base price of petrol overnight, which jacked up the net retail price. OMCs update the base price as and when backend crude and refining prices change. According to the price notification of OMCs, the oil companies increased the base price on petrol by 58 paise, making petrol almost `1 dearer. Following the hike in base price, the petrol costs `96.72 per litre in Delhi, instead of `95.91 per litre. It means people in Delhi were paying 81 paise per litre more at petrol pumps. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had on Saturday announced slashing the Cen- ‘Price benefits could be wiped out in a month’ The benefits of the excise duty cut would be lost in a month if the Centre allows fuel prices to be hiked like this, warned Kerala finance minister K N Balagopal tral excise duty on petrol by `8 per litre and `6 per litre on diesel. She claimed it would reduce the price of petrol by `9.5 per litre and of diesel by `7 per litre in Delhi. After confusion prevailed among consumers in Kerala on the real impact of the excise duty cut on fuel prices, the state’s finance minister K N Balagopal clarified that consumers in the state should have got a price reduction of `10.41 following the 8 cut in excise duty and the `2.41 reduction in state tax but the unex- pected base price shrank the benefit to `9.40. Base price may be changed on a daily basis or less frequently as the OMCs prefer, said Gaurav Moda, India Energy Leader, EY. The final price comprises base price, central excise, dealers’ commission and state VAT. Some taxes are absolute (like Central excise), some are levied as a percentage of the base price. So, the exact price reduction may vary from state to state. There is no such issue in the case of diesel. verdict against social evil: Boy’s hate rhetoric at PFI rally viral, triggers outcry VISMAYA’s HUSBAND GUILTY Quantum of punishment to be pronounced ​​ today; victim’s family satisfied Express News Service @ Kollam (From R) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the IPEF’s launch event in Tokyo on Monday | AP economic vision that will deliver for all peoples. The vision for India joined the Indo-Pacific Indo-Pacific is free and open,’’ Economic Framework for Pros- said Biden. perity (IPEF) that was conceived The IPEF seeks to strengthen by US President Joseph R Biden economic partnership amongst and launched in Tokyo on Mon- participating countries with the day, with Prime Minister Naren- objective of enhancing resildra Modi saying he expects it to ience, sustainability, inclusivebecome the engine of global eco- ness, economic growth, fairness, nomic growth. and competitiveness in the IndoThe IPEF covers half Pacific region, accordIt isn’t a the population of the ing to a joint statement traditional world and more than issued on IPEF. free-trade 60% of the global GDP. Amongst those who pact: US “India has historically attended the event virbeen at the centre of tually were leaders US National trade flows in the Indo- Security Advisor from Australia, BruPacific region, having nei, Indonesia, RepubJake Sullivan the world’s oldest comlic of Korea, Malaysia, said the IPEF is mercial port in Lohtal, not a traditional New Zealand, PhilipGujarat. India is compines, Singapore, Thaifree trade mitted towards workland, and Vietnam. The agreement, ing with all Indo-PacifIPEF will initiate disadding new ic countries for an challenges need cussions on trade, supIPEF which is both in- new approaches. ply chains, clean enerclusive and flexible. The IPEF is part gy, decarbonisation, The foundation of re- of US efforts to and Infrastructure and silient supply chains counter China’s Tax and Anti-Corrupmust be 3Ts — Trust, tion among member aggression on T ransparency and nations. trade in the Timeliness,” he said. India and the US region India is looking forsigned an Investment ward to collaborating with part- Incentive Agreement (IIA) that ner countries under the IPEF superseded a similar pact in framework and work towards 1997. The IIA was signed by Foradvancing regional economic eign Secretary Vinay Mohan connectivity, integration and Kwatra and US CEO of Internaboosting trade and investment tional Development Finance within the region. Corporation (DFC) Scott Nath“The nations represented here an. The IIA is a legal requiretoday and those who will join ment for DFC, which covers varthis framework in future are ious programmes, including signing up to work towards an debt and investment guarantee. Y e s h i S e l i @ New Delhi Nitish calls all-party meet on Bihar caste census Announcing the decision on Monday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said there is nearconsensus on the date of the meeting (May 27) though some parties are yet to confirm. FOLLOWING ​ four-month a trial, the Kollam Additional District and Sessions Court on Monday found husband S Kiran Kumar​ the only ac, cused in the sensational Vismaya dowry death case, guilty ​​ . The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on Tuesday . Vismaya, ​a ​2 4-year-old​ BAMS ​ tudent​who had coms plained of dowry harassment, was found hanging in the bathroom of ​K iran’s house ​ t Sastham​ otta on a c June 21 under mysterious circumstances. Kiran​ has been convicted under ​I PC sections 304B ​​ ​ owry death), 498A (​ owry (d d harassment) and 306​ (​ beta ment to suicide)​ . S Kiran Kumar being taken back to jail from the Kollam Additional District and Sessions Court | express “This is a verdict against​ dowry the social evil​ and not ,​ , against a single person. We all expec​ ​​ Kiran to get the t maximum punishment for the crime,” said ​​ special pub- CM’s pushback against Takht’s call to arms Hate speech: HC gives P C George interim bail Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday granted interim bail till Thursday to former MLA P C George in a case registered in connection with the hate speech he allegedly made at a temple festival in Vennala, Kochi. Justice Gopinathan P granted the interim bail on the condition that he should not make statements in public or before the media. P4 Ha r p r e e t B aj w a @ Chandigarh Vinai Kumar Saxena is new Lt Governor of Delhi New Delhi: Vinai Kumar Saxena, the chairperson of Khadi and Village Industries Commission, was on Monday appointed the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. Saxena, 64, will succeed Anil Baijal who resigned last week citing “personal reasons” come a police officer. Holder of a master’s degree in computer application, Noujisha joined the police in 2018. TNIE had featured her story on May 26 in 2021. On Sunday , her passing out parade — as a woman civil police officer — was held at the Kerala Police Academy in Thrissur. A video of Noujisha and her seven-year-old son Aiham Nazal sharing their joy after the parade has gone viral on social media. “Not marriage but job is the Noujisha with son Aiham Nazal after her passing-out parade in Thrissur on Sunday. SHOWER BREAK! An elephant named Neelakandan cools off in a wayside stream at Policemukku near Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram while being taken to a temple festival at Paravur in Kollam | B P Deepu real power for women. Instead of suffering in silence, women should come out of the ordeal and chase their dreams. That’s what my experience has taught me,” she told TNIE in the backdrop of the Vismaya verdict on Monday . Belonging to Panthirikkara near Perambra, Noujisha thankfully remembers her elder sister Noufa A, who stood firmly behind her during her tedious divorce process and while attempting to get a gov● More on P4 ernment job.  Instead of suffering in silence, women should come out of the ordeal and chase their dreams. That’s what my experience has taught me — A Noujisha sequences on the child. Meanwhile, former deputy secretary general of Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council Fr Varghese Vallikkat expressed anguish over the incident and said it cannot be brushed aside as mischief of an innocent boy . “The slogans reflect a fascist behaviour. The responsible leadership should think whether the political atmosphere in Kerala that justifies such attitude is helpful for the future of the country he said ,” in a Facebook post. In the video, the boy is seen sitting on the shoulders of a man shouting provocative hate slogans. “The youths around the child were seen repeating the chant. The police of the Pinarayi government have not taken the slogans seriously and there is no information about action against the organisers, said Fr Vallikkat. ● More on P4 licensed weapon Leaving ordeal behind, Noujisha ‘marches’ on WHILE Vismaya V of Kollam fell victim to domestic violence, Kozhikode resident A Noujisha has a different tale to tell despite having faced a similar ordeal. Six years ago, unable to bear her husband’s torture, she had decided to end her life by jumping into the well on their premises. But standing near the well, she could not summon the ‘courage’ to do so. Instead, she pulled herself around to fight the odds. Now 32, the brave Noujisha has done something inspirational for all distressed women — be- A VIDEO clip of a child raising provocative hate slogans at a rally organised by the Popular Front of India (PFI) in Alappuzha has gone viral on social media, triggering an outcry. Various Hindu and Christian outfits on Monday demanded action against the organisers, while the PFI sought to distance itself from the row, terming it an “aberration” and stating that the party will enquire into the incident. Police initially said that a case has been registered, but later said they are examining the authenticity of the video and will initiate action if it proved genuine. Citing the video, the Kerala High Court observed that children should be protected from political indoctrination which has irreversible long-term con- express read woman of power A m i ya M e e t h a l @Kozhikode lic prosecutor ​ Mohanraj. G The investigating officers and Vismaya’s ​ arents exp pressed satisfaction with the​ judgment. ​ igital evidence including​ D the phone recordings of Kiran and ​ ismaya before V her death turned out to be ​​ vital proof ​in the ​ ase. The auc dio clip produced before the court include​ ​ a message d sent by Vismaya to her father nine days after ​ er ​ edding h w and call recordings of Kiran and Vismaya. In ​ ne clip​ Viso , maya ​ s heard ​​ i telling ​ er fah ther that she ​ ight ​ nd her m e life if she continued to stay at​ Kiran’s house. T ​ he motor vehicles department had dismissed ​ iran​ K , who​​was an assistant ​ nspeci tor ​w ith its​ enforcement squad in Kollam​ from serv, ice following ​ is arrest.  P2 h B I J U E PA U L @ Alappuzha Survivor moves High Court against state govt, trial judge E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ Kochi The survivor in the 2017 actor abduction and sexual assault case on Monday approached the Kerala High Court casting aspersions on the intentions of the state government and the integrity of the trial court judge. She submitted that the eighth accused, actor Dileep, has unlawfully influenced some of the politicians of the ruling front directly and through his sources. She also alleged that the accused attempted to derail the further probe in the case. She said the state government, which supported her initially and allowed a fair probe, later backtracked from its constitu- tional commitment to conducting a free, fair and full-fledged investigation. Even though the prosecution approached the High Court with a petition to extend the time limit for the further probe, it is learnt that the prosecution and the investigation agency have been threatened by higher-ups to end the investigation halfway and file the additional final report in a half-cooked manner. “This clearly establishes the illegal nexus between the accused and the ruling front,” she alleged. Dileep’s lawyers interfered with the administration of justice by tampering with evidence and influencing witness● More on P4 es.  Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh on Monday stirred the pot by urging all Sikhs to have licensed modern weapons, given the uncertain times they are living in. Hours later, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Punjab BJP president Ashwani Sharma took strong exception to the call, but Shiromani Akali Dal leaders supported it. Significantly, people in Punjab already have more than 3.50 lakh licensed weapons. The jathedar, in his address to mark the anniversary of the sixth Sikh guru, Guru Hargobind Sahib, urged Sikh boys and girls to keep traditional martial arts like gatka alive. “Sikhs should also be armed with licenced modern weapons in today’s age,’’ he said while urging people to shun drugs. Akal Takht is the highest temporal seat of Sikhs. The jathedar is its high priest. Appalled by the statement, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann urged the jathedar to spread the message of peace, harmony and brotherhood, adding weapons don’t have any place in a rulesbased civilised society. Punjab BJP president Ashwani Sharma said that jathedar should talk about communal harmony and peace rather than weapons, adding his statement gave a wrong message to the masses. For their part, Shiromani Akali Dal leaders justified the jathedar’s message, saying we ap o n s a re i n t e g r a l t o Sikhism. 16 pages, including 4 pages of thiruvananthapuram Express