BENGALURU  SUNDAY  MARCH 19, 2023  `12.00  PAGES 28  LATE CITY EDITION PAK COURT LETS IMRAN GO WITHOUT INDICTMENT IN TOSHAKHANA CASE Islamabad’s additional district and sessions judge allows ex-Pak PM to mark his attendance from his vehicle and leave the court premises Imran’s car surrounded by supporters as he leaves for Islamabad | AP CLASHES OUTSIDE THE JUDICIAL COMPLEX POLICE STORM INTO IMRAN’S LAHORE HOME Clashes erupted between security forces and Khan’s supporters outside the judicial complex in Islamabad ahead of his appearance before the court. Khan reached the court premises but his efforts to reach the courtroom were thwarted due to the deteriorating law and order situation. Following this the judge, who waited for hours for Khan, let him go without indictment ■ Parallelly, over 10,000 armed Punjab police personnel stormed Khan’s residence in Lahore on Saturday and arrested his party workers ■ The police personnel used a power shovel to remove the barricades and tents at the entrance of the residence and conducted a search at the house after demolishing its main gate and walls | P12 61 PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED FROM IMRAN’S HOUSE AFTER POLICE STORMED IT 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 Sand mining may affect rail bridge: Seer 78 supporters of Amritpal held, preacher on the run; Punjab govt suspends internet Major crackdown on Khalistani leader ed on the spot but Amritpal managed to escape by shifting IN a major crackdown against to another vehicle. radical Khalistani leader and Police officials said AmritWaris Punjab De chief Amrit- pal’s associates are involved in pal Singh, the Punjab police on four criminal cases related to Saturday arrested 78 of his sup- spreading disharmony among porters but the radical preach- classes, attempt to murder, ater gave them the slip when his tack on policemen and preventcavalcade was intering public servants cepted near Jalanadfrom doing their duty . har. The state governSupporters of Amment has suspended ritpal shared some uninternet services till confirmed videos on Sunday noon to presocial media claiming vent rumours. that policemen were The police registered chasing them. A video a case against Amritalso showed Amritpal pal and his supporters sitting in a vehicle with Amritpal Singh on February 24 for atone of his aides shouttacking the Ajnala police sta- ing the policemen were after tion near Amritsar a day earli- them. er. His supporters, brandishing Amritpal gained notoriety swords and guns, clashed with when a man approached police police in which six policemen last month complaining he had were injured. been kidnapped and beaten up Sources said the Dubai-re- by the preacher’s supporters. turned preacher was on his Officials said the Union home way to Muktsar Sahib when he ministry is “closely monitorwas stopped at the Shahkot- ing” the situation in the state Malsian Road in Jalandhar dis- following renewed activities of trict. Seven people were arrest- Khalistani elements. E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Udupi H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh NATURE WORSHIP WITH THIS ISSUE PLUS 12 PAGES ‘Some hurt by democracy’s success’ R A J E S H K U M A R T H A K U R @ New Delhi RESPONDING for the first time to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent ‘democracy under siege’ barb in London, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the success of India’s democracy and its institutions is hurting some people, which is why they are bent on attacking it. Taking an apparent dig at the Opposition, the PM quipped: “When something auspicious is happening, there is a tradition to apply kaala tika (black dot). So when so many auspicious things are happening, some people have taken the responsibility to apply this kaala tika.” India, he said, has shown the whole world that democracy can deliver. “I am confident that despite all such attacks, India will continue shining and move forward to meet its objectives.” Modi was addressing the India Today conclave. He said the world’s intellectuals are optimistically saying ‘This is India’s moment.’ Yet, some people are adamant in showing the country in bad light. Attacking the Opposition, the PM said earlier scams and corruption made newspaper headlines. But now, action against the corrupt are hitting headlines. He said when action against the corrupt happens, some people join hands to hit the streets. Highlighting the gover nment’s achievements, Modi said drone-driven surveys of 2.34 lakh villages have been completed and the PM Swamitav cards have been given to as amnay as 1.22 crore people. “Today India is number one in smartphone data consumption, is the second biggest mobile manufacturing nation and has the third biggest startup ecosystem,” he said. EXPRESS READ Congress first list after Rahul’s rally: Saleem TN attacks: Key suspect in fake video case gives up NIA chargesheets 19, including top PFI leaders Hubballi: State Congress working president Saleem Ahmed said the party’s first list of candidates for the Assembly elections will be made public after former AICC chief Rahul Gandhi’s Yuva Kranti Rally in Belagavi on March 20 | P4 Patna: The prime suspect in the fake videos that showed alleged attacks on guest workers in Tamil Nadu recently, surrendered at a police station in Bihar’s West Champaran district in a different case on Saturday | P10 New Delhi: NIA filed its fifth chargesheet this month against PFI. The NIA has filed charges against 19, including 12 National Executive Council members, founding members and senior leaders of the banned outfit | P5 A flooded stretch of Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway near Bidadi on Saturday after the sudden downpour on Friday | SHASHIDHAR BYRAPPA E-way turns ‘waterway’ for motorists got flooded as the free flow of water was blocked due to an illegal ramp built by the villagers. This caused severe water accumulation, leading to flooding on the main carriage of the newly inaugurated expressway . The 118 km e-way built at a cost of Rs 8,480 crore was officially inaugurated by the Prime Minister on March 12. A contractor, who was at the site clearing the rainwater on Saturday morning, blamed the villagers of Mayaganahalli, Sangabasavana Doddi, Channapurada Doddi and adjoining areas for the flooding. A K N I S R E E K A R T H I K @ Bengaluru THAT rain can play havoc with our infrastructure at any given time was proved yet again. Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi just a week ago, witnessed accidents and traffic congestion on Saturday as the stretch near Sangabasavana Doddi underpass between Bidadi and Ramanagara was flooded with rainwater after heavy showers late Friday night. Ramanagara witnessed rains on Friday night and the stretch Chaos at KIA as 30 int’l flyers dropped at domestic arrivals gate E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Bengaluru IN a major goof-up, 30 passengers of a Sri Lankan Airlines flight were dropped at the domestic arrivals gate instead of international at Kempegowda International Airport on Friday This led to chaos for a while . at the international arrivals gate as passengers from abroad had to go through immigration check. The flight UL 173 from Colombo landed at KIA at 2.22 am and flyers were mistakenly taken to the domestic arrivals bus gate. “The passengers entered the domestic baggage claim area to collect their baggage. However, the operations team at the terminal rushed to the spot and reported the matter to CISF and immigration officials,” said a source at KIA. The airline authorities and the ground handling agent were given a stern warning, the source said. “The passengers were immediately shifted to the international arrivals gate for screening by immigration authorities. They later proceeded to the international baggage claim section,” he said. A spokesperson of BIAL confirmed the incident. “It was an error that caused confusion and measures will be taken to prevent such happenings in the future,” the spokesperson said. US girl who got MBBS posing as ‘Indian’ to go home EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru THE Karnataka High Court has shown a degree of leniency towards a 26-year-old MBBS graduate who falsely declared her nationality as “Indian” to avail a government medical seat to complete her course. The court, while restraining the authorities from taking any strict action against her as she was a student, directed the recovery of all the fees from her to be paid for all five years of the MBBS course at the rate to be charged for NRI/Overseas Citizen of India The MBBS graduate, Dr Bhanu C Ramachandran, completed her schooling and college, and then her medical degree in India by availing a seat under government quota by falsely declaring her nationality as ‘Indian’ in the state although she was overstaying in the country. She came to India in 2003 on a tourist visa for six months from the US, when she was six years old. Now, as Dr Bhanu, residing at Lakshmipuram in Mysuru, has sought to pursue a further career in the US based on the MBBS degree acquired in India, the court directed the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Immigration Officer to issue an exit permit to her only on receiving a ‘No Objection Certificate’ from the state government on payment of the fee as per the court directions. Justice M Nagaprasanna passed the order while partly allowing the petition filed by Dr Bhanu seeking directions to the authorities to issue an exit permit and restraining them from initiating any action against her for alleged violation of Section 4 of the Citizenship Act or Section 14 of the Foreigners Act. P3 The petitioner has shamelessly resorted to falsehood and achieved her goals by unethical means. Karnataka High Court “Some villagers blocked the shoulder drain near Sangabasavana Doddi that affected the free flow of rainwater. They have created an illegal access to the villages from the e-way by adding mud and stones over the shoulder drains. As water could not drain out, it led to flooding,” the contractor said. The villagers told TNSE that they are unhappy with the eway as it failed to ensure proper connectivity to the villages on either side of the stretch between Ramanagara and Bidadi that witnessed flooding. CONTINUED ON P:5 SRI Eshapriya Theertha Swamiji of Sri Admar Mutt, Udupi, has taken exception to unabated illegal sand mining at Udyavara Matada Kudru area in Udupi taluk. The seer, known for his green initiatives, said even the Konkan Railway bridge across the Papanashini river may collapse because of illegal sand mining. At least 150 truck loads of sand is lifted illegally from the river daily he said on Satur, day He said he will support lo. cal organisations and people if they launch a protest against illegal sand mining. Udyavara Matada Kudru is a scenic island close to NH 66. The sand mafia entered this area six months ago. There are 22 houses on the island and people living there face threat of soil erosion. The seer said authorities have not taken any action to stop illegal sand mining. Meanwhile, sources said Udyavara GP president Radhakrishna Bolje has received many complaints seeking action, and he forwarded them to the district mining and geology department officials. Bolje said officials have not taken any action.